Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-02

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)

In order to survive in a foreign country it is very essential to learn its local language, if we cannot speak the local language it becomes very difficult to live there. I strongly agree to this, eventhough we learn basics of that particular language we may face some social and practical problems.

Many people migrate to other places for the sake of job, education, living standards. So, in such type of cases learning the language, which local people speak regularly, is very important. Especially for those people who go to work, they should interact with the local citizens in some situations like, to ask for help and for job purpose. For example, if a employ has a meeting with a local client, he need to interact with him in language in which the client is comfortable, in such cases he may find some difficulties. Likewise, it is important even for students who go to abroad for education. Sometimes lecturers give lectures in their local language to convey the topic in a simple way. Even if the lectures are given in English, local language is still important to communicate with classmates and staff.

Sometimes international students decides to do part-time job to earn for meeting their expenses, then he should must know how to speak local language otherwise he cannot communicate with customers. Although, we learn the basics to that language, we may face some disrespect and criticism from local citizen with our pronunciation. In the same way, learning foreign is important even for tourists to save money, which is paid to translators. Not only language barrier we also face some cultural problems; like a foreigner have no idea about that place ethnics and traditions.

To conclude, I agree that Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious social problems, as well as practical problems. But they can be managed by learning local language.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both social and practical problems associated with language barriers. The position is clear from the introduction. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the mention of 'disrespect and criticism' is a relevant social point, but it is not fully explored or supported with a concrete example. The conclusion is a bit repetitive, merely restating the prompt rather than synthesizing the main points. To reach a higher band, you should aim to provide more depth in your arguments and ensure that each paragraph focuses on a distinct aspect of the prompt, such as separating professional challenges from social integration issues more clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear overall progression. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'For example', 'Likewise', and 'To conclude', which help the reader follow your argument. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'In such type of cases' or 'Although, we learn the basics to that language'. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear; for example, in the third paragraph, the pronoun 'he' is used to refer to 'international students' (plural), which creates a lack of agreement. Improving the variety and accuracy of your linking words will help the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'language barrier', 'international students', and 'translators'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'it is very essential' (redundant), 'go to abroad' (incorrect preposition), and 'place ethnics' (should be 'ethics'). The range is somewhat limited, and you rely on basic vocabulary to express your ideas. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and ensure that your word choices are natural and contextually appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('a employ has', 'student decides'), incorrect article usage, and awkward phrasing ('he should must know'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage in complex sentences. While these errors do not typically impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and refining your use of articles would significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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