Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-23
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 5.0)
It is often argumentative that the main reason for learning a foreign language is in order to travel to or work in a foreign country while others say these are not the only reasons. This essay will discuss both views and argues that language learning has benefits beyond travel and work.
On the other hand, travel and employment are strong motivations. In a globalised world,English,for example is essential for many jobs. In Zimbambwe, English is a vital requirement for many jobs or to be able to study abroad. Smilarly when travelling speaking the universal language helps to communicate with others.
On the other hand language learning can be a hobby.It can be used to learn other people's culture,literature, music and traditions. This creates open minded people and tolerance. It improves brain functioning. Research show that learners who have a second language perfom better overally in other
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The student has failed to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, as the response is only 146 words long and cuts off mid-sentence. Consequently, the ideas cannot be fully developed or extended, which significantly impacts Task Achievement. While the student attempts to address both views and states an opinion in the introduction, the incomplete nature of the response severely limits the overall task fulfilment. For instance, the conclusion is entirely missing, and the final body paragraph breaks off abruptly with 'in other'. Under the official descriptors, this results in a score of 4.0 due to the minimal and truncated nature of the response.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text shows an attempt at logical organisation with a clear introductory paragraph outlining the structure. However, paragraphing is compromised by the abrupt ending of the essay. The student uses cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand' (though repeated twice incorrectly to introduce different points) and 'for example'. Referencing and logical progression are hindered by the truncation of the text. Despite these issues, the progression of ideas in the first two paragraphs is relatively clear before the breakdown at the end. Cohesion is sometimes faulty, aligning the response with a band 5.0 level.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a minimally adequate range of vocabulary for the task, incorporating terms such as 'globalised world', 'vital requirement', and 'open minded people'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors, such as 'argumentative' instead of 'argued', 'Zimbambwe' instead of 'Zimbabwe', 'Smilarly' instead of 'Similarly', and 'perfom' instead of 'perform'. Furthermore, the phrase 'overally' is non-standard. These lexical inadequacies and spelling mistakes reflect a band 5.0 performance.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'In a globalised world, English, for example is essential for many jobs.' However, punctuation is frequently neglected, notably missing commas around parenthetical elements and after introductory phrases. There are also grammatical and structural slips, such as 'Research show that learners...'. While simple sentences are generally understandable, errors in grammar and punctuation are frequent and can cause some difficulty for the reader, which places this performance firmly at band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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