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)

Some people believe that living in a country where you have to talk a foreign language can cause serious social problems while some others argued that it also cause practical problems.I partially agree with both of these statements because it affects on culture of society and reduce interactions between community people.

The primary reason for this is that non-native language can reduce local language and deduct cultural identity. This is because people who cannot speak local language fluently may feel excluded from society which reduces the cultural identity. For instance, immigrants who cannot speak native languages create barriers on society and may have a difficulties to speak with friends and community people .As a result, they may feel alone and integrated in the society.

The another compelling reason is that abroad language cause practical problems such as communication problems and confidence problems. The main reason for this statement is that while you have to speak a foreign language instead of own language create stress and decrease their confidence level which includes the problem of interaction. For example, teacher give the task to one of the most talented students to speech in stage but he cannot do well because speech is in non-native language. Therefore, non-native language decrease confidence level and create problems for communicate with others .

In the conclusion, although living in a country where a foreign language is spoken can create communication problems as well as social difficulties. I believe that this challenging problems can be overcome through regular interactions and education of language.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
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 of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument that a foreign language 'deducts cultural identity' is not fully explained or supported with clear logic. The position is clear, but the supporting examples, such as the student giving a speech, are slightly generic and could be more effectively linked to the broader social or practical implications. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph contains a well-developed explanation that directly connects the example to the main point of the paragraph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'The primary reason for this', 'For instance', and 'In the conclusion', which help the reader follow the argument. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'The another compelling reason'. Additionally, there are some issues with referencing; for example, the phrase 'integrated in the society' seems to contradict the intended meaning of feeling isolated. Improving the variety and precision of linking words would enhance the flow of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'deduct cultural identity' (instead of 'diminish' or 'erode') and 'abroad language' (instead of 'foreign language'). The phrase 'community people' is also repetitive and unnatural. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary, the lack of collocation awareness occasionally hinders the clarity of the argument. Expanding your range of synonyms and focusing on natural collocations will significantly improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow, such as 'it affects on culture' (should be 'affects the culture'), 'a difficulties' (should be 'difficulty'), and 'problems for communicate' (should be 'problems communicating'). Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent throughout the text. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of these minor errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on 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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