Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-26

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)

It is often argue that foreign language is only important for travelling and working in abroad. While others believe that people can not learn a different language only for travel and work but also for other reasons. From my point of view, I think that people learns another language for so many purposes. This essay will examine both sides before explaining my opinion with relevant examples.

On the one hand, some people learns a language in order to communicate in work places or when they travel. For example, English is considered as a second language. Most of the people knows this language very well. So, when people goes to a second country to visit they have to communicate with locals. That is why, individuals try to use English just to talk with them. Besides, there are so many people who used to work in the international companies. For instance, to become a responsible employ they need a second language just to attend meetings and dealing with clients. So, these are the reasons why some people believe that.

On the other hand, many people use foreign language for study and working abroad. In recent days, very few students are trying to move another country just for better quality education. To enroll in a different country they have to knows these countries language to understand the books and teachers lecture very well. Such as, to study in the Korea or Japan students needs Korean and Japanese very well and that is why people have to learn a different language. Additionally, very few people are interested in songs, movies and series of foreign country. For examples, marvel movies, Japanese anime, Korean drama etc.

In conclusion, both perspective have their own strong views. But I think that people can not use another language just for travelling and working but also for study and entertainment.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the second body paragraph discusses study and entertainment, but the points are presented as a list rather than being fully explored. The distinction between the two views is slightly blurred because the second paragraph also mentions 'working abroad,' which was already covered in the first paragraph. To improve, ensure each paragraph focuses on distinct, well-supported arguments that directly address the prompt's specific categories.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear introduction and conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'Additionally' are used to guide the reader. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences is slightly disjointed, such as the transition between the discussion of language for travel and the mention of international companies. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between ideas would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks sophistication. There are several instances of word-choice errors, such as 'responsible employ' instead of 'responsible employee' and 'move another country' instead of 'move to another country.' While the meaning is generally clear, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive and relies on basic phrasing. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more precise collocations and less common lexical items related to the topic of language acquisition and cultural integration.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the fluency of the text. Common issues include subject-verb agreement errors, such as 'some people learns' instead of 'some people learn' and 'students needs' instead of 'students need.' Additionally, there are errors with prepositions and articles, such as 'in the Korea' and 'in abroad.' While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall control of grammar.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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