Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-06
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)
People holding differing views over whether people learn foreign language for travelling and working purpose in aboard or other reasons can be involved. While there is a ongoing debate about the purpose of learning foreign language, i believe that the main purpose is to travel and work in counterparts of the world.
On the one hand, people nowadays has huge interest in learning foreign language, because they think that it will help to explore new opportunities. One possible reason is travelling and career opportunities, when people go to new country, it is really important to learn the language of that country. That will help travellers to communicate with people and make travelling more convenient.To communicate with boss and employes, a person need to know the language of the country, otherwise it create a gap between them. For instance, a recent study of Oxford reveal that, 80% people learn different language for travelling and career development.
On the other hand, there are other several reasons for learning the new language. Some people are really attracted to different languages such as Dutch, German, indian and Korean. They learn those languages for entertainment purpose. Nowadays, Korean and Pop culture has become increasingly popular. So people learn Korean to watch movies, series and listen music. They treat learning language as hobby and part of entertainment. Those people learn language to make entertainment more convenient and explore that culture.
In conclusion, although there can be other reasons for learning a foreign language, i believe that travelling and career opportunities are the most common reason among people.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response addresses both views regarding the reasons for learning a foreign language and provides a personal opinion, which satisfies the basic requirements of the prompt. However, the development of ideas remains somewhat limited and under-developed. For instance, the discussion on career opportunities relies heavily on general assertions rather than extended, fully supported arguments. Furthermore, the claim regarding an Oxford study is introduced without sufficient context or elaboration. While the stance is stated in the introduction and reinforced in the conclusion, the overall treatment of the ideas leans towards generalization, preventing the response from reaching a higher level of thoroughness and depth.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a recognizable introduction, body paragraphs addressing distinct views, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used to separate the opposing arguments logically. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by mechanical or faulty cohesive devices. Referencing can be unclear, such as the abrupt transition between sentences in the second paragraph. Transitional phrases are occasionally repetitive or over-used, and logical links between sentences within paragraphs lack the smooth, natural flow characteristic of higher bands. Although the structure can be followed by the reader, the lack of sophisticated signposting limits the overall cohesion.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, providing sufficient range to discuss travelling, careers, and cultural interests such as 'career opportunities', 'entertainment purpose', and 'K-pop culture'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'in aboard' instead of 'abroad', 'an ongoing debate' with a lowercase pronoun 'i', and 'listen music' instead of 'listen to music'. The student attempts less common vocabulary, but these attempts occasionally result in inappropriate collocations or word forms. While communication is not severely impeded, these recurring inaccuracies restrict the lexical score to the mid-range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writing demonstrates a limited range of structures, relying on a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentences. Attempts at complex sentence forms are frequently marred by errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'people nowadays has' and 'a person need', missing articles such as 'reveal that 80% people', and incorrect prepositional usage. Punctuation errors are also present, including lowercase letters at the beginning of sentences and uncapitalized personal pronouns. Although the meaning can generally be discerned, the frequency of these structural and grammatical inaccuracies causes some difficulty for the reader.
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