Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-29

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)

Few masses assert that foreign languae is learned by travelling and working in an oversea country while others believe that there are other ways to learn a foreign language . In the following paragraphs , I will discuss both aspects along my opinion .

To commence with, there are many reasons behind the former viewpoint. First and foremost is that travelling is a good way to learn foreign language because people meet different kind of people and learn about their culture and language . Moreover, for travelling is like to know about any place or location they communicate with people and people of that country usually speak their native language .Second one is that if people do work in other country they have to learn a foeign language beacuse there is a rule in some companies to speak only a foreign language otherwise they will not get a job .

On the other hand, it would be unjust to overlook the viepoint of other people . Firstly , some people learn foreign language to enhance their knowledge as in this modern era , it is necessary to learn each and everything which help to increase their knowledge and make them knowlegeable persons . Secondly , people learn foreign language to make new friends in a oversea country . Nowadays , young people use social media and make new friends from them so they learn foriegn langugae to connect with or communictae with them .

In the light of above discussion , it can be stated that both the views have their own significance and supporting arguments , nevertheleass, I believe that people learn foreign language to make friends and to know about culture and customs of other nation .

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—that foreign languages are learned solely for travel and work, and that there are other reasons—while providing a personal opinion in the conclusion. The ideas are generally relevant, but some are under-developed or repetitive, such as the points regarding meeting people and learning about culture. The writer's position is clear throughout the essay. However, the reasoning could be extended further with more specific examples rather than general statements. Based on these observations, the response fits comfortably within Band 6, as it addresses all parts of the prompt though some aspects are less fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph structure, including an introduction, two body paragraphs discussing the opposing views, and a conclusion. Transitional phrases like 'To commence with', 'First and foremost', and 'On the other hand' are used to signal the progression of ideas, although some cohesive devices feel mechanical or are punctuated incorrectly (e.g., spaces before commas). Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different arguments. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'make new friends from them'. Overall, the logical flow is maintained, aligning with a Band 6 score for coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'enhanc their knowledge' and 'significant and supporting arguments'. However, there are numerous spelling errors ('languae', 'oversea', 'foeign', 'beacuse', 'foriegn', 'nevertheleass', 'communctae') and awkward word choices, such as 'Few masses assert' instead of 'Some people claim'. The vocabulary is sometimes repetitive ('foreign language' is repeated frequently). These inaccuracies do not entirely impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score. Therefore, a band score of 5.0 is appropriate due to the noticeable spelling and word choice errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety in sentence structure. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as article omissions ('for travelling is like to know about any place', 'do work in other country'), preposition misuse ('learn foreign language to make new friends in a oversea country'), and punctuation errors involving spaces before punctuation marks. While many sentences are understandable, the high frequency of basic grammatical slips and awkward phrasing causes some difficulty for the reader. This performance aligns best with the Band 5 descriptors.

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

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