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)

In today's increasingly globalized world many individuals move to other countries where the language was different due to which they face major difficulties in social as well as practical life . In this essay we will discuss some of the most common issue that arise because of the language barrier .

Living in a country where the language is different is quite hectic. People face lot of difficulties even in making new friends because of which they feel socially isolated even; in a group of majority they still feel lonely and excluded. For instance, In universities where some students who have migrated from other countries feel extremely hesitant to have a normal conversation with their classmates and they lack confidence in asking questions to their teacher which they were unable to get.

From the practical perspective , either its about health or work . There are major hurdles for a foreigner. Sometimes when someone feel sick they were unable to tell the doctor about their symptoms properly. Some individuals have fewer job opportunities than local residents because of the language barrier. Employers often prefer workers who can communicate fluently. This is particularly important when employees have to deal with clients and customers.

In my opinion , to avoid such significant problems as well as practical problems it is better to work on improving language skill before moving to some other country where you face language barrier.

In conclusion both perspectives have reasonable arguments , so I would say on the one hand people first learn some language skills and then move and if due to some reasons they have to move and they do not get a chance for learning language skill the citizens should help them to learn as well as letting them know about how things work in their country.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both social and practical problems associated with living in a foreign-language environment. The position is clear, and the ideas are relevant. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the discussion on health and work is brief and could benefit from more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The conclusion is slightly contradictory, as it shifts from the essay's main argument to suggesting that host citizens should assist, which was not previously explored. To improve, ensure that all points are fully extended and that the conclusion consistently reflects the arguments presented in the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas from social issues to practical ones. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'For instance' and 'From the practical perspective', but some transitions feel mechanical or repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences could be smoother. The final paragraph introduces a new idea about the responsibility of citizens, which disrupts the logical flow of the conclusion. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring the conclusion summarizes the existing arguments rather than introducing new ones would enhance the coherence of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There is some attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'globalized', 'socially isolated', and 'fluently'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'hectic' to describe living in a foreign country, which is not the most accurate collocation. There are also minor errors in word formation and phrasing, such as 'learn some language skills' instead of 'acquire language proficiency'. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more precise collocations and a wider range of academic vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement ('someone feel sick'), tense consistency ('they were unable to tell'), and punctuation (erratic spacing before commas). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'due to which they face major difficulties'. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and refining complex sentence structures would be beneficial.

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