Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-24

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)

It is clear that living in a foreign country has its own benefits and drawbacks to consider. I agre with this statement, however I think that anybody coming in another country should respect national culture. In this essay, I would like to outline the social and practical problems.

The social problems would be language barrier, which means that a person coming from another country might not be able to speak and understand the language which might be a problem as far a person who is living in a country, and a person who came in the country. Another problem is linked to the language barrier, but it might influence the behaviour of others. An individual who come into the country might offend others with their behaviour or language. For example, some cultures like English people prefer to be very polite and say things differently from other cultures. Therefore a person who doesn't know how to behave in a particular culture might offend others around him.

The practical problems would be misunderstanding of culture. That means that a person who visits other countries does not understand other culture and he behaves as he wants to.

The second practical problem is finding a job. An individual who works in foreign country might not be appropriate for people who he serves. For example if an individual works in a restaurant, the people who live in a country and they were born in that country might not respect and not like the behaviour of a person who works in a restaurant, it might be because, the cultures are different.

To summarize, it can be said that there are a lot of misconceptions which people have when they come in a foreign country, and in my opinion and from my personal experience people should educate themselves in order to know how to behave in different situations with different cultures.

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 country, thereby covering all parts of the task. A position is stated in the introduction, where the writer indicates partial agreement with the statement. However, the ideas are somewhat repetitive and lack deep development. For instance, the section on practical problems relies heavily on the concept of cultural misunderstanding without introducing distinct, well-supported arguments. While the examples provided, such as working in a restaurant, attempt to illustrate the points, they remain generalized and under-developed. Therefore, the response aligns best with the Band 6 descriptor, as it addresses all parts of the task but features some under-developed and repetitive ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion. Paragraphing is utilized, with distinct paragraphs dedicated to social problems and practical problems. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes mechanical, and cohesive devices are overused or used repetitively, such as the constant reliance on 'that means that' and 'an individual who'. Referencing can also be unclear at times, as seen in the sentence 'which might be a problem as far a person who is living in a country, and a person who came in the country.' Consequently, the organisation shows flaws that place it firmly in the Band 5.5 to 6.0 range, warranting a Band 6.0 for cohesive devices that are occasionally faulty and referencing that is not always clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, touching on relevant terms such as 'language barrier', 'misconceptions', and 'culture'. However, there are noticeable limitations in lexical choice and word form errors throughout the text. For example, the writer uses 'agre' instead of 'agree' in the opening sentence, and phrases like 'a person who came in the country' and 'misunderstanding of culture' demonstrate restricted flexibility. Less common lexical items are attempted but often lack precision and accurate collocation. These errors do not impede communication, as the reader can still grasp the intended meaning, but they restrict the lexical score to a Band 5.5, which rounds down or aligns best with a Band 5 or 6; given the sufficient communicative success despite the errors, a Band 6.0 is appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some attempt at subordination and relative clauses, such as 'An individual who come into the country might offend others...'. However, there are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors, including subject-verb agreement issues like 'An individual who come' instead of 'comes', awkward phrasing, and missing prepositions. Sentences such as 'For example if an individual works in a restaurant, the people who live in a country and they were born in that country might not respect and not like the behaviour...' display structural clumsiness and run-on tendencies. While these errors rarely completely impede communication, their frequency prevents the score from reaching a Band 7. The grammar profile reflects a solid Band 5.5, which is safely represented by a Band 6.0 due to the presence of some correct complex structures.

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