Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-15
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)
There is a common belief that one must learn any foreign language only to travel or to work in a specific country, while some argue that there are many more reasons to learn a new tongue. This essay will discuss both views and explain why i think being familiar with a foreign language has other advantages.
Some believe that one should get hands on a foreign language only when decided to travel to that country or if you work a job in that country, this is because they do not find it necessary to learn new tongue. Generally, people tend to learn few basic words from the native language before travelling to that nation, to make the journey more convenient. And some countries require people to have basic knowledge of their native language in order to work their.
On the other hand, others state that learning a new language helps us in many ways and not just to travel or to work there. Being familiar with as many languages as possible will boost ones confidence, especially when being able to communicate with people of other background. This can be added to your official documents like resume or CV, which makes it more impressive. broad mindset / good sign /
In my opinion, learning a new language provides us with many advantages apart from travel and work in abroad. Knowing many languages is considered as one of the skills. It also provides one with new opportunities, to deal with foreign clients for instance.
To conclude, learning a new language, although it makes travel and work experience convenient and easy, it also helps boost confidence, improve communication skills and provides with newer opportunities.
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. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding 'confidence' and 'broad mindset' is mentioned but not fully extended with specific examples or logical depth. The discussion of the first view is also quite brief. To reach a higher band, you should aim to provide more detailed explanations and concrete examples for each point raised. The conclusion effectively summarizes the main points, but the overall essay lacks the depth required for a higher score.
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 'On the other hand' and 'To conclude' to link sections. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the discussion of work requirements and the benefits of language learning could be more sophisticated. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be improved to better connect supporting ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You use some basic phrases like 'get hands on' and 'new tongue', which are slightly informal or unnatural in an academic context. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'work in abroad' instead of 'work abroad'. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing. The inclusion of 'broad mindset / good sign' at the end of a paragraph suggests incomplete drafting, which impacts the overall lexical control.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'when decided to travel' (missing subject), 'work their' (incorrect homophone for 'there'), and 'provides with newer opportunities' (missing object). Punctuation is also inconsistent in places. While you attempt complex sentences, the control over them is not consistent. Increasing the number of error-free sentences and ensuring subject-verb agreement will help improve your score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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