Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-02

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 6.0)

There is an ongoing debate about whether if we live in a foreign country we have to speak the language of the specific country and it will cause social as well as practical problems. I totally agree with this statement because living in a foreign country can sometimes be very hard.

The main reason for this is that if we live in a foreign country we have to speak its language and most of the time it is very difficult to speak a foreign language. Firstly, if we plan to move abroad we should learn the language of that country. For instance, if some people want to go to Malaysia they should learn the language first to survive in that country. After this, they still experience social difficulties. Furthermore, they cannot easily communicate with Malaysian people and some people can also face racism in a foreign country. For example, my brother moved to Saudi Arabia and he had toothache but he was unable to tell the dentist the actual problem because he was not proficient in Arabic. Some people also struggle to adapt to cultural differences in a foreign country.

Another significant reason is that a person also has to face a lot of practical problems. If students wants to pursue higher education, they may encounter significant challenges due to the language. People may also encounter practical difficulties, when they want to get employed because a company will always give priority to locals rather than foreign employees.

To conclude, I completely believe that living in a foreign country can cause serious social as well as practical problems because we have to speak a foreign language.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by presenting a clear position and discussing both social and practical problems associated with speaking a foreign language. However, some ideas are more fully developed than others, which is characteristic of this level. For instance, the social problem regarding the brother in Saudi Arabia who had a toothache is clearly illustrated with a specific example, whereas other points, such as cultural differences and employment challenges, remain somewhat generalised and lack sufficient extension. To move to a higher band, the writer should ensure that every main idea is thoroughly explored and supported with deeper explanations or concrete examples rather than simply being introduced.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response presents an overall coherent arrangement with a clear, recognisable introduction and conclusion. Ideas are organized into logical paragraphs, separating social problems from practical ones. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or repetitive, relying heavily on basic transitional phrases such as 'Firstly,' 'Furthermore,' and 'Another significant reason is that.' Referencing is generally clear, but the progression between sentences could be smoother. To achieve a higher level of cohesion and progression, the writer should employ a wider variety of more sophisticated cohesive devices and ensure that referencing is handled with greater flexibility rather than relying on formulaic transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'pursue higher education,' 'encounter significant challenges,' and 'cultural differences.' However, there are noticeable limitations and occasional inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as 'whether if we live' and 'had toothache' (which lacks the necessary article 'a'). Spelling is generally accurate, but the overall lexical control shows some awkward phrasing. To reach the next band, the writer needs to demonstrate a more precise use of less common lexical items and improve collocation control to ensure style and precision are maintained throughout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like conditional clauses ('if we plan to move abroad') and relative clauses. There are, however, some grammatical errors present, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('If students wants' instead of 'want'), missing articles ('had toothache'), and minor punctuation slips. These errors do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout the response. To progress further, the writer must increase the frequency of error-free complex sentences and exercise tighter control over grammatical patterns, particularly regarding pluralization and article usage within complex structures.

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.