Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-12

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)

many today are increasingly of the opinion that living in a country where people have to speak a foreign language can cause serious Jocial and practical problems. As far as I am concerned, I partially advocate this notion.

The strongest justiFication for my point of vIew is that living in a foreign-language environment can create practical difficulties. In other words, people may struggle to communicate with doctors, teachers, employers and government officials. They can also face problems while using public transport or completing important paperwork. To provide a concrete illustration, a foreign student may find it difficult to explain a Health problem to a doctor because of limited language skills. Another factor to back up my claim is that language barriers can reduce opportunities for employment. Additionally, people may need considerable time to become confident in speaking the local language.

some people, on the other And, dispute the mentioned support. The most important argument They make is that living in a foreign-language country can improve social relationships over time. Moreover, learning the local language helps people communicate with neighbours and make new friends. What is more, REgular interaction with local people can improve language skills and help foreigners understand the culture better. Some people, oN the other hand, dispute the mentioned support. Learning the local language can help people make friends, understand the culture and become more confident in Society.

in conclusion, I reaffirm my opinion that living in a country where a foreign language is required can cause some serious practical problems, although these difficulties Can gradually be reduced By learning and using the local language.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student addresses all parts of the task and presents a clear position throughout the response. The introduction clearly states a partial agreement with the prompt. The body paragraphs successfully explore both sides of the argument, discussing practical problems such as communication struggles with doctors and employers, as well as the social benefits of learning a foreign language over time. Ideas are generally well-supported with relevant examples, such as 'a foreign student may find it difficult to explain a Health problem to a doctor.' However, some points are slightly repetitive in the third paragraph, with a sentence almost entirely repeated ('Some people, oN the other hand, dispute the mentioned support.'). Despite this minor redundancy, the task is adequately fulfilled, warranting a solid Band 6.5 or 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a logical overall progression with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing opposing views, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'In other words,' 'To provide a concrete illustration,' and 'Additionally.' Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different facets of the argument. However, cohesion is sometimes slightly mechanical or faulty, and there are mechanical issues with capitalisation in the middle of sentences (e.g., 'justiFication', 'vIew', 'REgular', 'oN'). Referencing and transitions between paragraphs could be smoother, particularly where sentences are unnecessarily repeated. Overall, the organisation is coherent, aligning well with the descriptors for Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'justification', 'considerable time', and 'reduce opportunities for employment'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word-choice inaccuracies throughout the text, including erratic capitalisation ('jocial', 'justiFication', 'vIew', 'REgular', 'oN') and minor mechanical slips. While these errors do not impede communication, they restrict the vocabulary score. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, but lacks the precision and fluency required for higher bands, placing it firmly at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional-like structures effectively (e.g., 'living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious social problems'). There are instances of good grammatical control, particularly in complex constructions like 'Living in a foreign-language environment can create practical difficulties.' However, punctuation and mechanical errors are present, particularly with random capitalisation within words and sentences ('many today', 'Jocial', 'justiFication', 'REgular', 'oN'). Despite these distractors, the grammar itself is generally accurate enough to ensure communication is not impeded, supporting a Band 6.0 rating.

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

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