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)

There is a saying that 'as many says as many minds' which technically fit here. Humans are made differently and their mind function differently. The capacity of mind to think and form opinion is varies too from person to person. Each person has its own opinion as well as own habits and way of life.

The same can be seen in this statement that some people believe foreign language should solely be learn because it will help us to travel or work. I agree with the statement except the 'only reason'. The primary reason for which most people learn the language is that they usually plans to settle abroad. For example, a Pakistani person learns German because he wants to settle to the Germany and there is the language barrier, so he has no other choice but to learn the German.

However, there are secondary reasons too for which people learn other language, I.e. degree requirement, job requirement, habit to learn various languages. This supports the saying of the counter opinion claimed by the people who say that work and travel are not only reasons for learning a foreign language. For example: I, personally, know some people in my friend circle who randomly learns a language. My brother is one them. On the other day, he was asking me the meaning of the Turkish words he learned recently which I clearly had no idea of. I also have a friend who is learning Korean just to watch and understand K-dramas without subtitles.

Conclusively, I am more drawn towards the latter opinion, Like most of the time people learn a language because they have to in order to travel or work abroad. But that is not the reserved reason only for learning a language.

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 limited. While you provide examples like learning German for migration or Korean for K-dramas, the discussion remains quite superficial. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the cognitive, cultural, or professional benefits of language learning beyond just hobbies or migration. The introduction is slightly off-topic with the philosophical opening about 'minds,' which does not directly address the prompt. Ensure your focus remains strictly on the task requirements to improve the depth of your argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However,' 'For example,' and 'Conclusively.' However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'This supports the saying of the counter opinion.' Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would help the essay read more naturally and improve the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'solely,' 'barrier,' and 'subtitles.' However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'randomly learns a language' instead of 'learns a language as a hobby' or 'reserved reason' instead of 'exclusive reason.' There are also minor errors in word form, such as 'he wants to settle to the Germany.' To improve, focus on learning collocations and using more precise academic vocabulary to express your ideas with greater clarity and sophistication.

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 frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the Germany'), subject-verb agreement ('mind function differently'), and pluralization ('Turkish words he learned'). Some sentences are slightly ungrammatical, such as 'My brother is one them.' While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. You should work on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and aim to incorporate more complex, error-free sentence structures.

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

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