Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-24

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)

Language plays a significant role in learning about the culture, traditions, and religion of a certain country. Some people say that the only way to learn an alien language is to visit or for work purposes in a certain country, while others disagree with this statement.

To begin with, learning a foreign language is important when someone lives in a certain country. They know about the culture, religion, tradition and the way of living. It's very crucial to know about the norms and traditions of a certain country. Communication barriers will arise when someone does not know the language. For instance, my uncle lives in Germany, and he learned the German language before going to the country. Now, he is proficient enough to communicate and knows everything about their culture, religion and traditions.

On the other hand, people find that learning a foreign language is something boring. They are not interested in learning about different cultures, religions, and traditions. People who live in their own country finds irrelevant to learn others' languages. In this way, they deny the need to learn an alien language. For Example, my sister lives in Turkey, and she is Proficient in her mother-language which is Turkish. I asked her to learn Italian, but she simply refused to learn, as she had no interest in learning the Italian language or visiting Italy.

In my point of view, I'm influenced to learn a foreign language as to know about the different norms of a certain country. So, it's quite interesting to learn a foreign language.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views, but the development is somewhat limited. While you mention that some people find language learning boring, the essay lacks a deep exploration of the 'other reasons' for learning a language beyond just cultural interest, such as cognitive benefits or career advancement. Your position is stated in the conclusion, but it could be more clearly integrated into the introduction to guide the reader. The arguments are relevant, but the supporting examples, such as the anecdote about your sister, are a bit simplistic and do not fully extend the discussion to a broader societal or academic context.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'For instance' to link ideas. However, the progression between sentences can feel a bit mechanical. Some transitions are repetitive, and the logical flow within paragraphs could be improved by using more varied linking phrases. Referencing is generally clear, but the connection between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be smoother to ensure a more cohesive argument throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using words like 'proficient', 'significant', and 'communication barriers'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, using 'alien language' is unnatural in this context; 'foreign language' is the standard term. Additionally, phrases like 'I'm influenced to learn' are slightly awkward. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise vocabulary and avoid repeating the same words (e.g., 'culture, religion, and traditions' is repeated several times).

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For instance, 'People who live in their own country finds irrelevant' contains a subject-verb agreement error ('find' instead of 'finds'). There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases, such as 'in my point of view' (should be 'from my point of view'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score.

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