Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-21

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)

Some people argue that social and practical problems can arise when living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language. In my opinion, these so called problems could end up being actual benefits.

First of all, speaking a different language on your day to day basis can bring significant improvements to your brain. Exposing yourself to complex situations, where you have to get out there and force yourself to speak up can make one feel a sense of accomplishment. For instance, a recent research in Japan has shown that people who speak a second language daily, have a longer expectancy of hapiness as their self esteem rises up when communicating in a different language.

Secondly, exposing your brain to live in a different country with a different language can improve your brain cognition. People that live away from their home country often experiment a longer life. For example, a recent experiment in South Korea has demonstrated that elderly who have spent most of their lives living overseas, frequently reach their ninthy-nine years old due to the evolutive state of mind.

To conclude, I strongly believe that living in a country where you have to speak a different language can bring more benefits than problems. Improvements in your brain and further development of it by the use of a foreign language in a different country as yours, has shown that life expectancy can get higher.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You state a clear position—that the difficulties can become benefits—and give two supporting points about confidence and cognition. However, the response addresses the prompt only partially: it does not explain the social or practical problems named in the question, or weigh how serious they may be against the benefits. The examples about research in Japan and South Korea are asserted rather than explained or connected convincingly to the argument. The conclusion repeats the benefits but does not add a fuller answer to the extent question. The response is 215 words, below the required 250; the 22 words copied from the prompt are not counted. Develop both sides of your position and add specific explanation or a relevant personal example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs signalled by “First of all” and “Secondly,” and a conclusion. This makes the main line of argument easy to follow. However, progression is limited because both body paragraphs make similar claims about brain-related benefits and longer life, rather than developing distinct aspects of the question. Some links between claims and examples are unclear; for instance, the South Korean example does not explain how living overseas leads to the stated outcome. The conclusion largely repeats the introduction and body points. To improve, organise paragraphs around separate issues—such as social isolation and practical communication barriers—and use examples to show how each supports your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “sense of accomplishment,” “self esteem,” “cognition,” and “life expectancy,” and the meaning is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several phrases are imprecise or unnatural, such as “on your day to day basis,” “a longer expectancy of hapiness,” and “the evolutive state of mind.” Spelling errors in “hapiness” and “ninthy-nine” also reduce accuracy. Repetition of “different language,” “brain,” and “improve” limits flexibility. Aim for more precise language about the prompt’s social and practical concerns, such as communication barriers, social isolation, and access to services, and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including the clause “where you have to get out there and force yourself to speak up” and the conditional-style claim “can make one feel a sense of accomplishment.” Most sentences remain understandable, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions are present. For example, “a recent research” uses an incorrect article with an uncountable noun, and “elderly who have spent most of their lives” needs a clearer noun phrase, such as “elderly people who…”. In the final sentence, “Improvements … has shown” has subject–verb disagreement, and the sentence structure is difficult to follow. Practise checking articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries while retaining your attempts at complex forms.

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