Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-06

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 5.5)

Unquestionably, every coin has two sides and so are the people. Society's people are divided into two groups and therefore, learning a foreign language has become a topic of debate among people. This essay will compare and contrast both of the opinions along with my opinion which is in favour of former view, and it will be discussed in a sensible conclusion.

Initiating with the points supporting first school of thought, firstly, that the only reason for learning a second language is in order to travel. The people who support this say that everyone should learn the language of the destination they are going so that they can communicate well, get to know the people by visiting their house and talk to them freely and fluently. However, the cons of this aspect are also not appreciated while people try to learn language just for travel, they do not study it deeply, they only focus on surface part like greetings. To quote an instance, recently, my uncle went to a country for nearly 2 weeks by learning only basic vocab and greetings, but when he tries to travel between different cities, there he had to look for destination name or famous food but all of it were in native language so he faced many problems.

On the contrasting side, people who held another viewpoint say that a person should only learn foreign language in order to work there. They believe that, when you spend your time in foreign countries for work you should know their mother tongue, so the language does not hinder your workflow. In addition, the opposing view highlights that people want the immigrants to not feel pressured by language they should know it locals and fascinate about the origin. To exemplify, recent Maharashtra locals force the workers from other cities to speak their local language otherwise told them to leave the state and sometime, beat the workers too.

To conclude, I would like to say that languages should be learn not by need, but by ambitious because you never know when you got the opportunity to travel or work in other part of world. you should know about their culture, customs or festivals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views as required, though the development is uneven. You successfully identify the two perspectives (travel and work) and provide a personal opinion in the conclusion. However, the arguments are somewhat underdeveloped. For instance, the example regarding your uncle is anecdotal and does not fully explore the broader implications of language learning for travel. Similarly, the example about Maharashtra is quite specific and slightly tangential to the general concept of 'working in a foreign country.' To improve, ensure that your supporting examples are more universally applicable and directly linked to the core arguments. Your position is clear, but it could be more consistently integrated throughout the body paragraphs rather than just appearing in the introduction and conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Initiating with,' 'On the contrasting side,' and 'In addition' to signal shifts in the argument. However, some transitions feel mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'Society's people are divided into two groups.' Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear; for example, the phrase 'the opposing view highlights that people want the immigrants to not feel pressured' is confusingly phrased. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally from the previous one will help elevate your score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'unquestionably,' 'fluently,' and 'hinder.' However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'surface part,' 'fascinate about the origin,' and 'learn not by need, but by ambitious.' These errors occasionally impede the precision of your argument. To reach a higher band, focus on using collocations correctly and expanding your range of academic vocabulary. Avoid using informal phrasing or incorrect word forms (e.g., using 'ambitious' as a noun instead of 'ambition').

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is a positive step. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('languages should be learn'), missing articles, and awkward sentence construction ('there he had to look for destination name'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma splices and run-on sentences. While these errors do not completely prevent the reader from understanding your message, they are frequent enough to limit your score. Focus on proofreading for basic errors like verb forms and ensuring that your complex sentences are grammatically sound.

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.