Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-04

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 6.0)

There are a lot of controversial views on why people learn a foreign language. Some people are in the opinion that they learn this language so as to be able to relocate, visit or work in a foreign land, while some other people think that there's more to learning foreign language than just work or travel plans.

Every country and culture has a language native to them and immigrants find it difficult to adapt to them most times. It's true that the reason why most people learn new language is for work or travel. For example, a Japanese who wants to travel to Spain would have to learn the Spanish language in order to be able to communicate well and live comfortable in the new country. Also, a person who relocates to work in another country or works with an international company that requires him to communicate in one or more languages, would definitely have to learn those languages in order to communicate well with his customers as well as international partners.

However, some people believe that learning a foreign language can be as a result of other reasons, like hobby. There are people who derive joy from exploring new things, such persons do not learn the language for work or travel. They do that to derive fun.

From my own point of view, I believe that being able to speak different languages should not be limited to work, travel or hobbies. As human, I believe that there's need to diversify rather than focusing on one thing or language. Learning foreign language can expose one to a lot of things. According to a news podcast today, a Nigerian was awarded a house and car by a philanthropist for being able to defend himself in public. Hence, learning new language has more to offer than work or travel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both views and provides a personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the first view (work/travel) is supported with clear examples, the second view (hobbies) is underdeveloped, lacking specific detail. The personal opinion section is also quite brief and relies on an anecdotal example that is not clearly linked to the broader benefits of language learning. To reach a higher band, you should provide more substantial arguments for the second perspective and ensure your personal opinion is more thoroughly justified with logical reasoning rather than a single, somewhat obscure example.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'For example', and 'Hence' to connect sentences. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. Additionally, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall flow would benefit from a more sophisticated range of linking words to connect ideas within and between paragraphs more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'controversial' and 'diversify', which is positive. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'are in the opinion' (should be 'are of the opinion') and 'live comfortable' (should be 'live comfortably'). To improve, focus on using collocations more accurately and expanding your range of topic-specific vocabulary related to linguistics and cultural exchange.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('a Japanese', 'a Nigerian') and adverb/adjective confusion ('live comfortable'). There are also minor issues with subject-verb agreement and preposition usage. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, specifically regarding articles and the correct form of modifiers.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.