Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-25

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 are competing views about the aim of learning the foreign language. Although, some think most people learn it for making online friends through social media and increasing there brain activity to which i disagree, while other think some people learn it to increase the job opportunities and gaining the permanent residency in specific country which is a valid agreeing point in my opinion.

There are various reason people learn foreign language as some people learn it due to having foreign friends so that they can communicate, while other learn it because multilingual people brain is active and absorb information instantly according to research. For instance, as individuals make friends on different social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram etc from different parts of the world which speak different language so most of the people learn different language for such purpose. However, I disagree with all such facts of learning foreign language.

On the other hand, most individuals study different language in order to travel or work in foreign country which they desire. I completely agree with this point, as learning the language of other country can increase the job opportunities as most of the jobs has the requirement of language. Additionally, in the long term it will result in permanent residency. For example, learning the German language can open paths to permanent residency and various job opportunities in different sector.

In my opinion, professional and skilled trade people like engineers, welders, mechanics should definitely learn a language of country in which they hope to work in future, as a result it will open endless opportunities and the possibility of permanent residency.

Although, some individuals learn other language for making online friends and increasing brain activity. But in my opinion the main point of learning language is to increase job opportunities and PR possibilities in foreign country.

AI examiner evaluation

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 uneven. The discussion regarding the 'other' reasons (social media and brain activity) is slightly confused by the author's stated disagreement with these points, which makes the argument feel contradictory. While the prompt asks to discuss both views, the author spends significant space dismissing one side rather than exploring its merits. The position is clear, but the supporting arguments for the first view are underdeveloped and lack depth. To reach a higher band, ensure that both sides of the argument are explored objectively before presenting your own stance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the other hand', 'For instance', and 'Additionally', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the opening sentence which contains grammatical errors that affect the flow. The use of referencing is generally clear, though the connection between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different viewpoints, which helps the overall structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'increasing there brain activity' (should be 'their') and 'multilingual people brain is active'. The repetition of basic terms like 'learn' and 'language' limits the lexical range. While the student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'permanent residency' and 'skilled trade people', the overall control is inconsistent, and there are minor errors in collocation that occasionally distract the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the foreign language', 'the German language'), subject-verb agreement ('most of the jobs has'), and punctuation. The misuse of 'Although' at the start of sentences without a main clause following it is a recurring issue. While the meaning is generally clear and the errors do not impede communication, the frequency of these slips prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. More attention to basic sentence construction and proofreading for small errors would be beneficial.

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