Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-03
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)
Many individual give their opinion on learning a foreign language for travelling or working purpose. However, others say that it is not a valid reason for learning a foreign language. Both views are discussed in upcoming paragraph with example.
On the one hand, people say that some humans learn foreign language for their curiosity and only for knowledge. Because, many people learn other country language to know their culture and civilization. Moreover language is the important factor to know about their country's history and culture. For instance, many archeologists say that language is very help full when they are finding some ancient things or civilization.
On the other hand, many humankind says that learning foreign language is only limited to travelling and working purpose. Today most of the immigrants learn foreign language because they find difficulty while communicate with that country's people. In addition, they also struggle to understand meeting, ordering something in restaurants because they are not able to understand language that's why people learn other county language to survive in other county. Moreover, learning foreign language increases their IQ. For instance, a experiment says that a human who knows more than 4 language, that person's IQ is more than normal people.
Furthermore, people not only learn other county's language for working or travelling purpose but also they learn it for studying. Many international students want international exposer and want to improve their technical knowledge that way they learn language and give language test. For example, German government have a policy which name is ausbildung a diploma course which offers student to study and do internship.
In my opinion, most of the people learn a other country language for travelling or working purpose.
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 an opinion, though the development is uneven. The introduction is somewhat repetitive, and the conclusion is very brief, failing to fully synthesise the arguments presented. While the essay covers the prompt's requirements, some ideas, such as the link between language and IQ, are presented as assertions without sufficient explanation. The position is clear, but the overall development of ideas lacks the depth required for a higher band. To improve, ensure that each paragraph provides a clear, well-supported argument that directly relates to the prompt's core question.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive (e.g., 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Moreover'). There are instances where the logical flow between sentences is disjointed, particularly in the transition between the discussion of IQ and the paragraph about international students. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the paragraphing is slightly inconsistent, with a very short final paragraph that lacks a proper concluding statement. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between ideas will enhance the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range expected at higher levels. There is frequent repetition of basic terms like 'language', 'people', and 'country'. Some word choices are unnatural or inaccurate, such as 'many humankind' instead of 'many people' or 'a experiment' instead of 'an experiment'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of sophisticated vocabulary and occasional errors in collocation limit the score. To improve, focus on learning topic-specific collocations and synonyms to avoid repetitive phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Many individual give'), article usage (e.g., 'a experiment'), and pluralisation (e.g., 'more than 4 language'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on basic grammatical accuracy, such as plural forms and article usage, will significantly improve the quality of your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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