Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-12

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people say that the only reason for learning a foreign language is in order to travel to or work in a foreign country. Others say that these are not the only reasons why someone should learn a foreign language.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 4.5)

Many individuals contend that one learns a foreign tongue only when they need to travel or work in that particular nation. While others believe that not only this, there are many different reasons why an individual needs to learn a foreign language. I believe that there are several reasons why someone should learn a foreign language.

There are several reasons why someone needs to learn a foreign language. One possible reason is that people learn a foreign tongue when they need to study in that particular country. Nowadays, it is common to get admission abroad, so educational institutions often require a native language in order to study there. Moreover, many individuals learn a foreign language as a part of their hobby.

On the other hand there

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You introduce both views and state a clear general opinion: “I believe that there are several reasons why someone should learn a foreign language.” You also give relevant alternatives to travel and work, including studying abroad and learning as a hobby. However, the response is incomplete: the second view is only begun with “On the other hand there” and is not explained, and your own position is not supported with developed reasons or examples. The response contains 118 words, which is 132 words below the 250-word minimum; 8 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. To improve, discuss the travel/work argument as well as other motivations, then explain and illustrate your opinion with specific examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The opening establishes the topic, and the next paragraph gives two reasons for learning a language beyond travel or work. Linking expressions such as “Moreover” and “On the other hand” show an attempt to guide the reader through the argument. However, the progression is cut off: “On the other hand there” does not lead to a complete point, and there is no conclusion to bring the discussion together. The first paragraph also repeats the idea of learning a foreign language in very similar terms. Build a complete paragraph for each view, use clear links between the ideas, and finish with a short conclusion that restates your position.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a suitable range of topic vocabulary, including “foreign tongue,” “educational institutions,” “admission abroad,” and “hobby.” These choices make the subject clear, and the repeated use of “foreign language” is generally understandable. However, some phrasing is imprecise or unnatural: “get admission abroad” would be more idiomatic as “gain admission to a university abroad,” while “a native language” does not accurately describe the language required for study in another country. Repetition of “particular country” and “individual” also limits flexibility. Aim for precise collocations and vary key terms, for example by using “study overseas” and “language proficiency.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You show some ability to use both simple and more complex sentence forms. For example, “While others believe that not only this, there are many different reasons…” attempts to contrast viewpoints, and “when they need to study in that particular country” embeds a subordinate clause. Most of the complete sentences are understandable. However, the opening contrast is not well formed: “While others believe…” is a dependent clause without a complete main clause. The final fragment, “On the other hand there,” is also incomplete, and the comma after “Moreover” is followed by an unnecessary extra space. Practise joining contrasting clauses into complete sentences and check that every sentence has a finished main idea.

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