Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-14

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 4.0)

Learning foreign language in the recent years has stirred some controversy among individuals who argue that it's for the benefits of traveling abroad or work overseas while others advocates that there are more reasons for acquired knowledge in foreign language.

On the one hand, learning different language out of own born language is an advantage . Firstly,getting a good and well paying job as we all know salaries in overseas country are heavy and worth enjoying a good life. For example , several foreigners and investors are well paid

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response makes a relevant start by referring to overseas travel and work, and it begins to explain employment as a reason for learning another language. However, it does not discuss both views: reasons beyond travel and work are not presented, and there is no clear personal opinion. The example about foreigners and investors being well paid is incomplete and does not show how language learning leads to this outcome. The response is also substantially below the required minimum length, so the task is addressed only minimally and the ideas remain undeveloped. To improve, state your position, explain each side in a separate developed paragraph, and support each point with a specific example and explanation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: the opening introduces the two positions, and “On the one hand” signals the start of a supporting point. “Firstly” also indicates a sequence. However, the response ends before the argument can progress, so there is no contrasting paragraph, conclusion, or clear overall development. The opening sentence is difficult to follow because the two views are compressed into one long structure, and the example after “For example” is left unfinished. Build a clear sequence with an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion. Use linking phrases to show relationships between complete ideas rather than relying on signposts alone.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response attempts some topic-related vocabulary, including “foreign language,” “traveling abroad,” “work overseas,” and “well paying job,” so the subject is generally identifiable. There are also attempts at less common phrasing, such as “stirred some controversy,” but several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “born language” does not clearly mean a person’s first language, and “heavy” is not an appropriate description of salaries in this context. “Acquired knowledge in foreign language” is also awkward. These word-choice and collocation problems limit precision, although the main topic remains understandable. Prefer established expressions such as “native language,” “earn a high salary,” and “learn a foreign language,” and check that each phrase fits its intended meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts a complex opening sentence with a contrast between two groups, and it uses a subordinate clause in “as we all know salaries in overseas country are heavy.” However, control is uneven. In the opening, “individuals who argue” is followed by “while others advocates,” creating an agreement error; “for acquired knowledge” also has an incorrect grammatical form. The sentence beginning “Firstly” has punctuation problems and an incomplete structure, while “For example, several foreigners and investors are well paid” does not develop into a complete example. Use shorter, complete sentences while practising accurate subject–verb agreement, articles, and verb forms. A wider range of structures will be more effective once these basic patterns are controlled.

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