Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-05

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)

Foreign language is necessity to live in abroad, which cause not only social but also practical problems. I largely agree with this view because language barrier is one of the most important factor, and there are cultural difference. This essay will discuss my views on both sides with valid reasons.

One of the problem to live in a foreign country is that the language barriers. Every countries have their specific language where all people used to prefer their own language in day-to-day life, which may cause for international people to communicate with them. People are unable to talk with native residents, if they have no prior knowledge about foreign language. Another significant problem is the cultural differences. When individuals migrate to another countries for the study or work, they may face challenges in cultural and traditional differences. Each nations have their own customs and lifestyle; as a result, everyone finds difficulty at the beginning.

Moreover, there are several challenges, including finding a job, healthcare, and government services. Individuals are unable to get benefits from government, without understanding the foreign language. As a result, it becomes necessity for everyone, which may also leads to mental fatigue.

However, there is advantage for having expertise in a foreign language. Learning the local language helps people to integrate with each other. If individuals are able to speak the local language, they are more likely to communicate with native people and overcome all the problems.

To conclude, living abroad requires to have a knowledge of foreign language, which may lead to social as well as practical problems. Although local language may help people to integrate with each other, they may face challenges, such as language barriers, cultural differences, and difficulty with jobs, healthcare, and government services.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by acknowledging both social and practical problems associated with living in a foreign country. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, while you mention 'healthcare' and 'government services', these points are not expanded upon with specific examples or logical depth. The position is clear, but the essay structure is slightly contradictory; you state you will discuss 'both sides', but the prompt asks for the extent of your agreement, which usually requires a more focused argument rather than a balanced discussion. To improve, ensure each body paragraph provides a clear, well-supported argument that directly relates to your thesis statement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear central topic. You use cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'However', and 'To conclude' to link ideas. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and the flow between sentences can be slightly disjointed. For instance, the transition between the discussion of cultural differences and the list of practical challenges is abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as 'which may cause for international people to communicate with them', where the pronoun reference is confusing. Improving the variety and naturalness of your linking phrases will help the essay flow more smoothly.

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 barriers', 'integrate', and 'native residents'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'Foreign language is necessity to live in abroad' (should be 'a necessity to live abroad') and 'Every countries have their specific language'. The range is somewhat limited, relying on repetitive phrasing. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding basic grammatical errors in word formation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, they often contain errors that slightly impede clarity, such as 'Every countries have their specific language where all people used to prefer their own language'. There are frequent errors in articles ('a necessity'), subject-verb agreement ('Every countries have'), and preposition usage ('live in abroad'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, particularly with pluralization and article usage.

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

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