Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-25
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)
Residing in a nation where we have to communicate in a new language can cause serious social and practical disterbences. I strongly believe this is very true.
To any individual having to speak a new language can be very difficult. Talking to yours collegues or neighbours or trying to make friends will not be a piece of cake. It involes a lot of work to learn the languege and get along with them. Eventually it can lead to frustration and isolation . some people will have a voice constantly telling them they dont belong here.
Like a cherry on top , there are also certain practical problems involed starting with very simple issues like getting some vegetables from stores its difficult to read the lables . Its difficult to even ask for help and explain them your difficulties. Going to different places is another hectic task to do knowing bus routes or train stations how to board them . Its hard to remember some names of the streets , cities, buildings . For example, me and my cousins we went for a vacation to goa in summer . After we finished having our dinner we decided to walk back to our hotel . on the way back we got lost in a very remote area there was nobody to ask for help so we decided to use google maps but there was no signal we did not know which apps we have to use to book a taxi. we kept walking and reached a restaurant we asked them for help but neither we undrstood them or they understood we ha dto wait until someone who speaks ou language shows up and guids us back to hotel.
In my conclusion, i would say its not easy to be in a country and speak a new language as its difficult to socialise with people around you it can lead to isolation and also involving practical day to day problems like getting in a bus or train or simple ones like grocery shopping can be difficult.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both social and practical problems associated with living in a country where a foreign language is spoken. The writer takes a clear position in the introduction ("I strongly believe this is very true") and maintains it throughout. Ideas are supported with relevant examples, such as the personal anecdote about getting lost in Goa. However, some ideas lack full extension and slip into over-generalisation, which aligns the response with a Band 6.5 or solid 6 descriptor level. Overall, the prompt is adequately answered with clear main points presented regarding isolation and everyday logistical challenges.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at paragraphing, moving from an introduction to social issues, then practical issues including an example, and finally a conclusion. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty and mechanical. For instance, the transition "Like a cherry on top" is informal and unnatural for an academic essay. Referencing and cohesive ties within paragraphs are occasionally weak, such as in the run-on sentences in the second and third paragraphs (e.g., "some people will have a voice constantly telling them they dont belong here"). Paragraphing is visible, but the logical progression between sentences occasionally falters due to punctuation and connective issues, placing this at Band 5.5 to 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as "isolation," "frustration," and "remote area." However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, including "disterbences" instead of disturbances, "languege" instead of language, "involed" instead of involved, and "lables" instead of labels. Furthermore, collocations and phrasing are sometimes awkward, such as "getting some vegetables from stores its difficult to read the lables." While these errors do not completely impede communication, their frequency prevents the score from reaching a higher band, making Band 5.5 the most suitable assessment.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control is inconsistent. There are frequent punctuation and capitalization errors, such as missing apostrophes ("dont"), lower-case letters at the beginning of sentences ("some people", "on the way back"), and run-on sentences with comma splices (e.g., "we got lost in a very remote area there was nobody to ask for help"). Grammatical structures are often simplified or prone to errors when complexity is attempted, such as "neither we undrstood them or they understood we ha dto wait." These errors cause some difficulty for the reader, fitting comfortably into the Band 5.5 criteria.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.