Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-26

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious social problems, as well as practical problems.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

living in a country where we have to speak a foreign language can be very difficult in the beginning. Lets suppose I go to a restaurant to have diner, then i would have no idea what to eat and how to order. Also, when we live in a country we have to do some work to earn our livings. without knowing the language it will be impossible to get a job. Simple and easy tasks will be soo much difficult for a beginner who has just moved to a foreign country. For example buying something to eat or doing for work to earn for our expenses. Each and every task will required so much effort. But with the passage of time we adapt with the situation. We learn a little bit of the foreign language. So it takes time to learn but eventually people learn that foreign language. so according to my point of view, not knowing the foreign language can cause serious practical and also the social problem more for the beginners but after may be two or three years people eventually learn the basic of the language. But still it causes some problems for them but not much as compared to the beginner. Because when someone move to a totally new country , they really don't know anything about that country and not know their language can be chaotic for that person. But in the modern era where AI can do everything, this made everything so easy. People have translators on their phones that help then translate right away.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both social and practical problems. However, the development is somewhat superficial. While you mention the difficulty of finding work or ordering food, these points are not fully extended with specific examples or deeper analysis. The position is clear, but the argument lacks the depth required for a higher band. The mention of AI as a solution is a relevant addition, but it is introduced late and not integrated into a cohesive argument about the extent of the problem. To improve, ensure each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed idea with clear supporting evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay lacks formal paragraphing, which is a significant issue for coherence. The text is presented as a single block, making it difficult for the reader to follow the progression of ideas. While there are some cohesive devices used, such as 'Also', 'For example', and 'But', they are often used at the start of sentences in a repetitive or mechanical way. The logical flow is somewhat disjointed, particularly when transitioning from the challenges of language to the role of technology. Using clear paragraph breaks and a wider variety of linking words would significantly improve the structure of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'do some work', 'get a job', and 'do everything' are functional but lack the precision and sophistication expected at higher levels. There are also some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'doing for work' and 'not know their language'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more topic-specific vocabulary related to migration, cultural integration, and linguistic barriers, and focus on using more precise verbs and adjectives to convey your meaning more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay relies heavily on simple sentence structures. While there are some attempts at complex sentences, they are often marred by grammatical errors, such as 'Each and every task will required' (should be 'require') and 'not know their language can be chaotic' (should be 'not knowing'). Punctuation is inconsistent, with missing capital letters at the start of sentences and issues with comma usage. The frequent errors in subject-verb agreement and tense consistency occasionally impede the flow of the text. Focusing on sentence variety and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be highly beneficial.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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