Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-14

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)

Living in a new country where you barely know anyone and do not even have reliable sources to depend upon could be a very difficult experoience. On top of it if you barely know the local language and are not fluent in basic conversations, you develop this sense of 'not belonging', it affects you subconcious thinking and basically prepare you for the worst case scenerio in every situation.

There is this feeling of perception that everyone around you in staring and judging you so hard, because you can not speak the local language. Not knowing the native language of the place would also make it difficult to hold daily conversation and person would be confined to themselves because they might develop a fear of not being correct. They might also feel handicap because of the language difference and how it will be effecting their social life and practical life.

For example, I am applying in Masters program abroad for better opputunities, self growth and career growth. My native language is Urdu ad i am fluent in English as well but if i ended up getting an admission in France, Italy or Germany, would it mean i should cancel and not take the oppurtunity to develop just because i do not know the native languaes of the following countries and people there prefer others to speak local language. Definitely No, because i will be travelling as an International student, I am not supposed to know their language. It would be difficult for me to survive in the beginning but eventually i will adapt.

Hence, I agree that not being able to speak foreign language could be challenging at times and it can have a serious impact on your confidence, but i also think humans adapt to environment with time, get out of comfort zone and learn to speak, even if you start small can help alot evetually. As the famous quote states: " it's all a matter of time".

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both the social and practical effects of living where a foreign language is spoken, and your position is broadly clear: you agree that the situation is challenging but believe people can adapt. The discussion of feeling judged and avoiding conversations is relevant, while your prospective study abroad example gives the response a personal focus. However, the practical consequences are mentioned less specifically, and the example mainly explains your own willingness to adapt rather than showing how language barriers affect everyday tasks. The conclusion repeats the main view but does not fully resolve how serious the problems are. Develop each main point with a concrete consequence and explain how it supports your degree of agreement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: it introduces the difficulty, discusses social effects, gives a personal example, and ends with a conclusion. Paragraphing helps separate these stages, and transitions such as “For example” and “Hence” make the broad direction understandable. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes loose: the opening moves from lacking reliable sources to belonging and worst-case thinking without clearly connecting these ideas. Several points are repeated, particularly the difficulty of speaking and the need to adapt, while links between social and practical problems remain underdeveloped. Some references, such as “it” and “they,” are not always precise. Organise each body paragraph around one clear effect, then use explicit cause-and-effect links and avoid restating the same point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary to express emotional and social effects, including “not belonging,” “confined to themselves,” “confidence,” and “adapt.” These choices help communicate the central concern, and phrases such as “International student” suit the example. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or awkward, which sometimes makes the reader pause: “sense of perception,” “handicap,” and “effecting their social life” do not convey the intended meaning naturally. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “experoience,” “subconcious,” and “opputunities.” Aim for precise collocations and check spelling carefully; for example, describe feeling “self-conscious” or “socially isolated” rather than relying on unclear phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including conditional forms such as “if I ended up getting an admission … would it mean I should cancel” and a concluding clause about learning over time. This shows an effort to express hypothetical situations and connected ideas. However, complex sentences are often faulty or difficult to follow. For example, “On top of it if you barely know…” lacks clear punctuation, and “even if you start small can help” has no clear grammatical subject. There are also errors in agreement and sentence construction, as in “a person would be confined” and “it affects you … and basically prepare you.” Use shorter, controlled sentences where needed, and check that each clause has a clear subject and correctly matched verb.

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