Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-14
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 5.5)
Some people believe that the foreign language is learned only either for work or travelling, while other advocate that these are several other benefits of learning a foreign language, I believe that latter statement hold more importance .
On the one hand , the main reason why some masses favor the former statement is because better communication while travelling . This is due to the fact that people who travel for work in different country can communicate easily with the local people. They are able to ask for direction ,order food and can easily handle the emergencies and the knowledge of different language facilitates in avoiding misunderstanding among people. Foe instance, a survey conducted by Immigration department has provided concrete evidence that most of employees in the host country has find jobs easily. As a result, it has provided ease to the employees.
on the other hand, I believe that the latter point of view supporters give the major reason of culture understanding in its favour. As they believe that language helps people to get familiar to another country culture and traditions . people can communicate with foreigners and develop a meaningful relationship. Another reason to be given by them is personal and mental development .They give this reason duo to that learning a new language improve memory and enhance communication skills. It makes people more confident and provide intellectual stimulation and a sense of achievement .
To conclude, even though people support that a foreign language is useful only of work and travel, I believe that it has various other merits because of knowledge of new cultue and self development
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the practical benefits of language for travel and work, and the broader cognitive and cultural advantages. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the example regarding the 'Immigration department' is vague and lacks specific detail to fully support the argument. While the position is clear throughout, the supporting arguments would benefit from more depth and specific, well-explained examples to reach a higher band. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points, ensuring the task requirements are met.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each view, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'To conclude', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'The latter point of view supporters give the major reason'. Additionally, there are some issues with referencing and flow, particularly in the second body paragraph where the connection between ideas could be smoother. Overall, the progression of ideas is coherent, but the use of cohesive devices lacks the flexibility required for a higher band.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to express ideas clearly. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'intellectual stimulation' and 'facilitates', which is positive. However, there are several instances of word choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'some masses' instead of 'some people', 'has find jobs' instead of 'have found jobs', and 'culture understanding' instead of 'cultural understanding'. These errors do not impede communication, but they demonstrate a lack of precision in lexical control, keeping the score in the 6.0 range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the student attempts complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('the latter statement hold', 'most of employees... has find'), article misuse ('the foreign language', 'the local people'), and preposition errors ('due to that'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas. While these errors rarely prevent the reader from understanding the intended meaning, the frequency of these slips indicates that the student does not yet have consistent control over complex structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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