Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-14
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 irrefutable that learning different languages can help everyone in many ways. Although some individuals believe that travelling or working in abroad is the only reason for learning foreign language, others believe that there are other reasons of learning a different language. Knowing a foreign language can be helpful in abroad, but I believe that it can be rewarding in other ways too.
Without learning foreign language people will not be able to adjust themselves in a foreign setting. Learning their local language will help them to communicate with local people and it will help them to get along with the local people.
However, there are other reasons for learning other languages. Firstly, it will help people to develope their communication skill because speaking different languages will help individuals to talk to different kinds of people. As a result, people might do well in their career. My uncle knows various kinds of languages and it helped him to become the incharge of "International Business" department in his office. Moreover, learning other languages builds more confidence because it allows people to talk freely with other country peoples and share their thoughts more accurately.
In conclusion, learning different languages can be beneficial in many ways. It does not only help people in abroad. It also helps us in our own country where it helps us to grow faster in career and improve our communication skills. That is why I think there are other reasons why people sh
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on foreign language learning and providing a personal opinion, although it is truncated at the end. The writer covers travel and work reasons in the introduction and second paragraph, then shifts to broader benefits like communication skills and career growth in the third paragraph. However, the development is somewhat limited, and the word count is 246 words, narrowly missing the 250-word minimum requirement. This slight under-length prevents full development of the ideas and requires a minor penalty under Task Achievement. Despite this, a clear position is maintained throughout the response, earning a band score of 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay displays a generally coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at paragraphing, separating the introduction, body paragraphs for each view, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'However', 'Firstly', and 'Moreover' are utilised to connect ideas, though some referencing and transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent reuse of 'local people' and 'other languages'. Paragraphing is present, but the final paragraph is incomplete, cutting off abruptly. Progression is observable from travel/work to other personal and professional benefits, but the logical flow is somewhat constrained by the abrupt ending. These factors position the essay comfortably at a band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common phrases like 'irrefutable', 'adjust themselves', and 'International Business'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'working in abroad' instead of 'working abroad', 'reason of learning' instead of 'reason for learning', and 'develope their communication skill' (spelling error and missing plural). Phrasing is occasionally repetitive, for instance, 'different languages' and 'local people' appear multiple times in close proximity. While communication is not impeded, these inaccuracies and limited precision prevent the lexical score from reaching a higher band, justifying a score of 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating clauses introduced by 'Although', 'Without learning', and 'because'. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, including preposition misuse ('working in abroad', 'in other country peoples' instead of 'people in other countries') and spelling errors like 'develope'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors occur, they rarely impede the overall meaning of the text. The sentence structures show adequate variety for this level, balancing straightforward assertions with subordinate clauses. This performance aligns well with the descriptors for a band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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