Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-31

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 it often required to use non-native language can undoubtedly cause both serious as well as practical challenges. I completely disagree with this viewpoint due to many reasons which are discussed in the upcoming paragraphs.

To begin with , languages are often not necessary to connecting with other peoples. Common interests can be found through by sharing something which is far beyond the speech , such as paintings and music. For example , I have a neighbour who is from Vietnam and she always cooked her meal as i prepared mine. The special exotic species she used spreads through the window of my house. Once upon a time i meet her outside the garden and asked for the recipes. This beginning of our friendship. Therefore , it show that happiness is shared without words.

Although , some foreigners might be came in a situation where they get frustrated where there is highly required communication , like describing illness conditions or explaining the hairstyle they want to do with accurate words. For instance , a patient who is not comfortable to speak local languages fluently get the words they want from dictionary in advances. Moreover , in hair salon can search the pictures of that particular hairstyles what they want to precisely express their needs.

In conclusion , despite having some inconveiences in daily routine there are many ways where it not required intimate knowledge of languages to shorten the distances with strangers . I believe , that what matters the most is friendly attitude towards the actions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position against the statement. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you provide a personal example about a neighbor, the argument that language is 'not necessary' for connection is a bit simplistic and does not fully engage with the 'serious social problems' mentioned in the prompt. The second body paragraph attempts to address the practical challenges but relies on anecdotal solutions (dictionaries, pictures) rather than a deeper analysis of the potential for social isolation or systemic barriers. To reach a higher band, you should explore the implications of the prompt more thoroughly, perhaps by acknowledging the complexity of the issue before refuting it.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is an attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'For example', and 'In conclusion'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly inaccurate, such as 'Although , some foreigners might be came in a situation'. The flow between sentences is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing, and some transitions feel forced. The referencing is generally clear, but the logical progression within paragraphs could be smoother to ensure that each point builds effectively upon the previous one.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You use some basic collocations, but there are noticeable errors in word choice, such as 'exotic species' (likely meaning 'spices') and 'inconveiences'. Phrases like 'shorten the distances with strangers' are understandable but not natural English collocations. You attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, but the range is limited, and the errors occasionally draw attention to the language rather than the ideas being expressed.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You frequently struggle with verb forms and articles, such as 'it often required' (should be 'it is often required'), 'might be came' (should be 'might come'), and 'in hair salon' (should be 'in a hair salon'). Punctuation is also problematic, with spaces appearing before commas. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of grammatical errors is high enough to cause some difficulty for the reader and prevents the essay from reaching a higher band.

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

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