Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-01

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)

Nowadays, many people believe that foreign language can give rise to a number of social problems as well as practical problems while living in a country.I disagree to this statement to some extent because language is just a tool for communication and should not be used as an excuse to look down upon others thus avoiding social and practical problems.

Many people consider using another language as a disgrace to their mother tongue.But while living abroad one need to adopt their language in order to communicate with people more easily rather than living a life of isolation in a new place.As a famous saying is: When in Rome,be like Romans.Having a command on different languages is very essential especially when one needs to study or earn a living in different country.

On the other hand, some people use foreign language as an excuse to make others feel low giving rise to lack of self-confidence and stress among individuals.People mock those who do not know foreign language.On the basis of this, people often pass racist remarks on others which is the major cause of social problems as well as practical problems.

In my opinion, language must be used as a source of communication. It should not be used as an excuse to let down others.It also should not be considered as something of utmost importance.While considering language as a source to education and earning in a foreign country we can overcome the problems caused by it which are social and practical problems.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing both the social and practical implications of speaking a foreign language, presenting a somewhat clear position in the introduction. However, the development of ideas remains limited and under-developed. For example, the argument regarding people viewing a foreign language as a 'disgrace to their mother tongue' is mentioned briefly without sufficient extension or supporting examples. Similarly, the points concerning racist remarks and social problems lack deep analysis or clear illustration. While all parts of the prompt are touched upon, the lack of fully elaborated arguments and a tendency to generalize keeps the development at a restricted level, as the ideas are presented rather than thoroughly explored.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement and logical paragraphing, with each paragraph addressing a distinct aspect of the topic. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes mechanical. Cohesive devices are used, but they tend to be basic or repetitive, such as 'On the other hand' and 'In my opinion'. Furthermore, referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when pronouns like 'it' are used without a precise antecedent, such as in the final sentence where the reference to problems becomes tangled. Paragraphing is present and separates the introduction, body points, and conclusion, but the internal transitions between sentences lack the smooth flexibility required for higher band levels.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, providing a sufficient range to communicate the main arguments. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'disgrace', 'isolation', and 'self-confidence', but there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and phrasing, such as 'Having a command on different languages' instead of 'in', and 'in different country' missing an article. Spelling is generally accurate, but the overall lexical control shows frequent slips in natural collocation and precision, which occasionally forces the reader to pause to grasp the exact intended meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The text demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures, relying primarily on simple sentences and basic complex forms. Attempts at complex structures are often faulty, featuring errors in subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'one need to adopt their language' where singular and plural forms do not match, and 'a famous saying is' instead of more standard phrasing. Punctuation errors are also present, notably missing spaces after periods, such as after 'country.I disagree'. Frequent errors in grammar and mechanics occur throughout the text, though they rarely impede overall communication entirely.

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