Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-11

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)

Learning is an essential part of human life. In that way, few individuals opine that for learning foreign language, travel or work in a foreign country is the only reason. While others argue that learning a foreign language can have more than one reasons.

This essay will discuss both perspectives before presenting my opinion.

Firstly, it is irrefutable that to travel or work in other country, learning that country's native language is important. Because, if the person knows the native language than it becomes quite easy to interact with others. Which eventually reduce the misunderstandings between the employees on the workplace and for travelers, the ability of foreign language can help them to interact with local individuals. Nowadays, many countries are making it necessary to have an understanding of host country's language. To illustrate, Germany is the best example of it. Where a person must need to have a knowledge of German language specifically for the students and working professionals.

However, many people prefer to learn foreign languages for different purposes. In contrast, the individuals, who are discovering other countries culture and tradition, they also choose to learn different languages. As it helps them to understand some of old writings of that country which are not available in translated version. Moreover, there are also a type of people exist, who likes to learn different languages to improve their knowledge. They probably learn language for their inner satisfaction.

In conclusion, although, majority of people learns foreign language for work or travel abroad, there are also a group of people exist who are learning languages for different purposes. Therefore, I believe that, travel or work are not the only reasons for which individuals should learn foreign languages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the practical benefits of language for work and travel, and the cultural or intellectual benefits for personal growth. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about 'old writings' is a good start but lacks specific detail or a concrete example to fully support the argument. The position is consistent throughout, but the essay would benefit from more depth in the supporting arguments to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central topic. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'However', and 'In conclusion', which help the flow of the text. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'In that way' in the introduction or the sentence fragment 'Which eventually reduce...'. Referencing is generally clear, but the logical progression within paragraphs could be smoother. The use of cohesive devices is sufficient to guide the reader, but it lacks the flexibility and sophistication required for a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'irrefutable' and 'professionals', but the range is somewhat limited. There are also some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'discovering other countries culture' (should be 'discovering the culture of other countries') and 'a type of people exist' (should be 'a type of person exists'). The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the message, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility or precision expected at higher levels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'majority of people learns' (should be 'learn') and 'a type of people exist' (should be 'exists'). There are also punctuation and sentence structure errors, such as starting sentences with 'Because' or 'Which' in a way that creates fragments. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score.

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