Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-20

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 often argued that, foreign language is only learned for the purpose of travel or work in a foreign country. On the other hand, some people believe that the reason for learning a foreign language is not limited to travel or work. In my opinion, I believe that learning foreign language could help in building self-confidence, improve skills and protect us from certain diseases.

On one hand, it is reflected that learning a different language is only for the purpose of work and travel. Being multilingual could provide lucrative options in career, people can gain opportunities to work in diverse countries. For instance, there are numerous companies who have a criteria that employee should know different languages, therefore they can communicate with clients in diverse languages. Furthermore, while travelling multilingualsim can bring benefits to communicate better with country's natives and help to learn their culture.

On the other hand, some people believe that learning a language is not only related to work or travel, it can help people to enhance their skills and abilities. Learning a foreign langauge could help to build self-confidence and provide problem solving skills. Moreover, it can help to make relationships internationally through various platforms. For example, people can make friends through social media, and can communicate through dissimilar websites. Furthermore, being multilingual will help to prevent diseases, like Alzheimer.

In my opinion, i acknowledge that learning a foreign language could help in building career and help in travelling. However, i believe that having knowledge about diverse languages could help in polishing skills and make us safe from diseases.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—that foreign languages are solely for travel and work, and that there are broader reasons—while presenting a clear personal opinion. The main ideas are generally relevant and extended, such as career opportunities, cultural engagement, and cognitive benefits like preventing Alzheimer's disease. However, the development of some ideas lacks depth, particularly the assertion regarding disease prevention, which is stated rather than logically supported. Furthermore, the phrasing 'protect us from certain diseases' borders on over-generalisation. Despite these minor limitations in idea extension, the writer maintains a consistent position throughout and successfully meets all core requirements of the prompt, aligning best with Band 6.5, which is rounded to 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation with a traditional four-paragraph structure. Information and ideas are generally sequenced coherently, and each body paragraph begins with a clear topic sentence such as 'On one hand, it is reflected that...' and 'On the other hand, some people believe that...'. Cohesive devices are used to signal transitions, including 'Furthermore', 'Moreover', and 'For instance'. However, some cohesive links feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, and referencing is occasionally awkward, such as 'communication through dissimilar websites'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to separate the introduction, two opposing viewpoints, and the conclusion. Overall, the structural progression is easy to follow, supporting a solid Band 6 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting less common lexical items such as 'multilingualism', 'lucrative options', and 'cognitive benefits' (implied by disease prevention). There are, however, several noticeable errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'langauge' instead of 'language', 'i acknowledge' with a lowercase pronoun, and awkward collocations like 'protect us from certain diseases' instead of 'stave off cognitive decline'. While these lexical inaccuracies occur, they do not impede communication, and the writer successfully conveys their message throughout the essay. This fits the criteria for Band 6, where the vocabulary is adequate but contains recurrent minor errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and conditional structures. Examples include 'There are numerous companies who have a criteria that employee should know different languages' and 'Being multilingual could provide lucrative options in career'. Grammatical accuracy is variable; there are several notable errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('company who have a criteria', 'employee should know'), missing articles ('in career', 'while travelling'), and punctuation slips like uncapitalised 'i'. Despite these errors, the complex structures are generally understandable and communication is rarely impeded. The profile corresponds well to Band 6, featuring a mix of structures alongside frequent minor errors.

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