Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-27

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)

The trend of learning other languages is increasing day by day. Many individuals learn different languages being tourists in order to travel to different countries, while some study foreign language for work purpose or to study in a different country. I believe that speaking different languages is good and you can have multiple opportunities because the language barrier is hurdle in most of the countries.

Much of the people learn English language to travel, work, or study abroad. There are many of the English proficiency tests happening all around the world. The main aim of these tests is to evaluate your fluency in English. Moreover, many people are moving to european countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, where the language barrier is the most, as English is not their mother tongue. So, people enroll in courses offering German language, French etc. in order to learn the language and be able to speak and listen. It is very helpful to them especially if someone wants to work in a public place, e.g. Hospitals, Supermarkets, Banks etc. If anyone wants to study abroad, they also tend to learn foreign languages to get their self admitted to respective universities.

Some people think that learning the foreign language for travel and work purpose is not always the reason. Some think that many people can use it in a dangerous way. They can use it for scam purposes as many of the call centers are operating illegally around the world, scamming people. They have learnt different languages and are operating from every corner of the world.

Although the benefits of learning foreign language overweigh its disadvantages, as you get the chance to communicate with different people in different languages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by discussing the two views regarding why people learn foreign languages and provides a personal opinion, which places it at Band 6. All parts of the task are touched upon, including the counter-argument about illegal activities and scams, though this idea is somewhat unusual and under-developed. The position is clear throughout the text, and the main ideas are generally relevant, but the development lacks depth. For instance, the paragraph discussing scams introduces a tangential idea rather than focusing on the broader socio-cultural or professional reasons typically associated with the second view. Overall, the content meets the basic requirements of the task response criterion by covering both views and giving an opinion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at paragraphing, earning it a Band 6. Ideas are logically sequenced to some extent, with an introduction, body paragraphs addressing different viewpoints, and a brief conclusion. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, expressions like 'Much of the people' and 'Moreover' are used awkwardly to link sentences. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as the sudden shift to discussing call centers in the third paragraph without a strong logical bridge to the previous paragraph. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion requires smoother transitions to achieve a higher band score.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, demonstrating an attempt to use less common items such as 'proficiency tests', 'language barrier', and 'illegal'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'Much of the people' instead of 'Many people' and 'get their self admitted' instead of 'gain admission'. Vocabulary control is limited, and spelling or word-choice errors appear throughout the text, though they do not severely impede communication. These characteristics align closely with Band 5.5, but rounding to the nearest whole band places it at 6.0 for having an adequate range that successfully conveys the basic meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures such as conditional and concessive clauses ('Although the benefits...'). However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, particularly with subject-verb agreement and articles, such as 'learning foreign language' without an article, and 'work purpose' instead of 'work purposes'. Punctuation is also weak, particularly in the final incomplete sentence ('Although the benefits...'). While these errors do not completely obscure the meaning, they are frequent enough to prevent the response from reaching Band 6.5, making Band 6.0 a fair and accurate assessment.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.