Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-27

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 foreign country can be difficult when people do not have speak local language. Some people believe that this situation serious social and practical problems. I agree in this statement because language is important for communication and daily life.

First of all, Languages can create social difficulties, People may find it hard to friends, talk neighbours, and other community activities. As a result , they can feel lonely and separated from society. For example, a foreign student who cannot speak the local language may avoid conservations and making other mistakes. This can reduce their confidence and it is difficult to other relationship.

Secondly, not knowing the local language can cause practical problems. People need language skills can everyday activities like using public transport, shopping and other government offices. A person who cannot a problem clearly may recieve the wrong information or service. In addition, language difficulties can make it harder to find a job because employers require good communication skills.

However, these problems are not impossible to solve. Foreigners can join language classes, practice with local people, and use language learning applications. With practice, they can improve their communication skills and become more comfortable in their new country.

In conclusion, I strongly agree that living in a country without knowing its language can cause serious social and practical problems. Nevertheless, learning the local language can help foreigners overcome these difficulties and live a comfortable life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both social and practical problems, and it maintains a clear position throughout. However, the essay is under the 250-word minimum requirement, which limits the depth of development. While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat brief and could benefit from more detailed examples or further explanation to fully explore the implications of the language barrier. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points, but the overall development is constrained by the length, preventing a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Secondly', 'In addition', and 'However' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, but there are instances where the connection between sentences could be smoother. Overall, the information is arranged coherently, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow despite the brevity of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and sophistication. The student uses basic terms like 'difficult', 'problems', and 'important' repeatedly. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'do not have speak' (should be 'do not speak') and 'it is difficult to other relationship' (should be 'it is difficult to build relationships'). While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little evidence of less common or idiomatic language that would be required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow, such as 'I agree in this statement' (should be 'with'), 'People need language skills can everyday activities' (missing preposition/verb), and 'A person who cannot a problem clearly' (missing verb). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are errors like the space before the comma in 'As a result ,'. While the errors do not completely obscure meaning, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score.

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

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