Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-07-25

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 7.0)

The escalating number of personal cars has resulted in the issue of heavy traffic flow, which has been widely recognised as a global concern, and is prevalent in multiple urban areas of the world. It has raised further problems such as environmental pollution and wastage of time in the life of commuters. The essay will discuss these problems in detail and also outline the plausible solutions.

To commence with, increased traffic congestion has proportionately raised the level of pollution in the cities. To expound, the damage caused by the consumption of the fuel and the greenhouse gases emitted by the vehicles has caused severe harm to the environment by deteriorating the air quality and formation of ozone layer in the atmosphere. Consequently, there has been an alarming rise in the air pollution and depletion of the earth's energy sources. Furthermore, the time which gets wasted due to bumper to bumper traffic in the cities has reduced overall productivity of the individuals. For instance, an experiment conducted in India in 2024 showcased that the average of 90 minutes per day is lost in the commute of the employees of multinational companies which declines their production by 10%.

The proposition of encouraging public transport is the easiest and cheapest solution to the above cited problems. However, the success depends on the joint collaboration of both the citizens and the government, so that public transportation can be made more accessible to everyone. The people should try their level best to use mass transit for their daily commute, and the government should provide enough facilities to make it convenient for their people. The other prospects such as car-pooling to a common destination and cycling to travel short distances should also be promoted by the local authorities and accepted by the local communities.

In conclusion, the compounded environmental damage and loss of valuable time are the significant problems associated with traffic congestion which puts the citizens in formidable situations. The proposed solution to this menace is the mass use of public transportation, along with other alternatives such as car-share and use of bicycles where possible.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion7.5
Lexical Resource7.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy7.5
Overall7.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response is completely off-topic. The prompt asks for a discussion on the reasons for learning a foreign language, whereas the essay discusses traffic congestion and environmental pollution. Because the student failed to address the task prompt entirely, it is impossible to award a score for task achievement based on the provided instructions. According to IELTS criteria, a response that is completely unrelated to the task must be penalized heavily. While the essay is well-structured as a piece of writing, it does not fulfill the requirements of the task question provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay demonstrates a clear logical structure. It uses an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is logical, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the (albeit incorrect) topic. The progression of ideas is clear, and referencing is generally accurate throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The vocabulary is generally appropriate and demonstrates a good range. Phrases like 'escalating number', 'proportionately raised', 'deteriorating the air quality', and 'formidable situations' show an ability to use more sophisticated language. There are no significant spelling errors, and the word choice is mostly precise, even though the content is irrelevant to the prompt. The student shows an ability to use topic-specific vocabulary, albeit for the wrong topic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is a high level of grammatical accuracy, with very few errors. Complex structures, such as 'The proposition of encouraging public transport is the easiest and cheapest solution to the above cited problems', are handled well. Punctuation is generally accurate, and the sentences are mostly error-free, which indicates a strong command of English grammar.

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