Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-28
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 5.0)
Speaking a foreign language in a country can cause severe social problems and practical problems as well. This essay will argue from both stances. As speaking foreign language in a country can cause social problems, such as losing a job and business opportunities due to the language barrier. At the same time, it can create practical problems like being mocked and criticized by the native people.
Speaking a foreign language in a country can cause severe social problems. To survive in a country, one must speak the native language of that particular country. If not than due to language barrier all the important job and business opportunity will be lost. For example, regarding "smart education consultancy" many Bhutanese students find difficult to survive in France due to the unfamiliarity of the native language. So speaking a foreign language can leads to serous societal chaos.
Despite that, speaking foreign language in a particular country can cause practical problems or day-to-day challenges as well. As per Karl Marx, in a various group of individuals the bigger group will dominate the smaller ones or labelled the smaller one as the black ship. Similarly, if one speak a foreign language among bunch of native peoples, than the individual will be labelled as the other or black sheep. For example, regarding the research of Dr Karma Phuntsho Bhutanese individual in Australia are mocked and criticized due to the difference in language and living style. So, speaking foreign can lead to challenges in every day live.
In conclusion, speaking foreign language in one country can leads to societal problem like creating language barrier related challenges. Moreover, it can cause practical problem like being mocked and criticized.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The essay addresses the prompt, but the position is somewhat contradictory. The introduction states the essay will argue from both stances, yet the body paragraphs focus entirely on the negative aspects, failing to provide a balanced view or a clear, consistent argument. While the ideas regarding job loss and social exclusion are relevant, they are under-developed. The examples provided, such as the reference to 'smart education consultancy' and Dr. Karma Phuntsho, are specific but lack sufficient explanation to fully support the arguments. To reach a higher band, you should ensure your position is clearly stated and maintained throughout, and that each point is fully extended with logical reasoning.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is often mechanical. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Despite that' and 'In conclusion', but they are sometimes used incorrectly or in a repetitive manner. For instance, the transition between the introduction and the first body paragraph is abrupt. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the logical flow between sentences is sometimes hindered by grammatical errors. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'severe social problems' and 'practical problems' repeatedly. There are also instances of awkward word choice, such as 'societal chaos' and 'black ship' (likely a misuse of 'black sheep'). While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of variety and occasional inaccuracies in collocation limit the score. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated synonyms and ensuring that idiomatic expressions are used accurately in the correct context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'speaking a foreign language can leads to'), incorrect article usage, and punctuation errors. There are also issues with sentence fragments and run-on sentences. While the meaning is usually understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, particularly with verb forms and pluralisation, and work on constructing more complex sentences with greater precision.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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