Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-30

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 5.0)

In earlier days, when internet was not introduced most people actually learned a foreign language only in order to travel to or to work in a foreign country. During this time, people rarely met foreigners and had little knowledge about foreign countries. Their world and understanding was limited to their own people and country. At that time it was acceptable as there was not much interaction between different nations.

World today has become a global village. Now, a country does not make a secluded decision. A single country's decision impacts every nation. In times like these communication and travel between people of different countries have become a necessity rather than a desire.

Due to increased use of internet, learning foreign language is not limited to work or travel. It has become a way to communicate to different nations. It has become a way to learn different cultures and a way to survive this global village as now it is more likely to come face to face and interact with

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which severely limits your ability to develop your ideas. You have introduced the topic and touched upon the two views, but the essay is incomplete and ends abruptly mid-sentence. Because you have not provided a conclusion or fully explored the second perspective, the task is only partially addressed. To improve, you must ensure you provide a balanced discussion of both views and a clear personal opinion, while ensuring the essay reaches the required length to allow for full development of your arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay shows some logical progression in the initial paragraphs, with clear paragraph breaks. However, because the response is unfinished, the overall structure is incomplete. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In earlier days' and 'Due to increased use', but the abrupt ending prevents a coherent conclusion. To achieve a higher score, you need to ensure that your ideas are fully linked throughout the entire essay and that you use a wider range of cohesive devices to connect your arguments more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally appropriate for the topic, using terms like 'secluded decision', 'global village', and 'necessity'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are minor issues with word choice, such as 'when internet was not introduced' (should be 'before the internet was widespread'). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, but you need to demonstrate a wider range of less common lexical items to reach higher bands. Focus on using more precise collocations and varied academic vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'A single country's decision impacts every nation.' There are some grammatical errors, such as 'World today has become' (missing an article: 'The world today') and 'communicate to different nations' (should be 'communicate with'). While these errors do not significantly impede communication, the limited length of the text makes it difficult to assess your full range of grammatical control. You should aim for more complex sentence structures and ensure articles and prepositions are used correctly.

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

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