Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-07
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 learn a foreign language for different purpose. Some learn for to travel to a foreign country. Some also learn working in foreign country, while other say it have multiple reasons that why someone should learn a foreign language. From my perspective people learn a foreign language for studying in foreign country, for to travel to or in work in a foreign country.
For example, Someone travel to Germany, so for him it is necessary to learn a German language. In Germany, if u want to do job then you will need to learn a language first. Most of the people speak German language in Germany. For communication to surrounding people, you must be able to speak German language. In order to travel to Germany, from market to visiting places of Germany most of the people speak German language. Shopping in Germany, eating in restaurant and visit to beautiful places of Germany u need to learn the German language.
From an educational perspective in Germany, most of the universities offer the program courses in German language. Both undergraduate and graduate programs are available in German, although some universities also offer courses in English. Therefore, if you want to study at a German university, learning German can be very helpful and, for some programs, necessary. There are many other reasons like to understand the culture , their lifestyle, customs and tradition so will have to learn their language.
In conclusion, people learn foreign languages for many different reasons, including education, travel, work, communication, and understanding other cultures. In my opinion, learning a foreign language is very beneficial because it can provide better opportunities and help people connect with others from different backgrounds.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You address both views by discussing travel and work in Germany, then adding education and cultural understanding as other reasons. Your opinion is also present: you say language learning is beneficial because it creates opportunities and helps people connect. However, the discussion is uneven. The first view receives several examples, while the opposing view is mainly asserted through education and culture rather than explored in depth. The opening also lists studying, travel and work as your own reasons without clearly contrasting the two positions in the question. To develop the response further, explain why people may learn a language for reasons unrelated to travel or employment, and support that point with a specific example before stating your position clearly.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, paragraphs about practical and educational or cultural reasons, and a conclusion. This gives the reader some organisation, and phrases such as “From an educational perspective” help signal a shift. However, progression is not consistently clear. The travel paragraph repeats the idea that German is needed for communication, shopping, eating and visiting places, rather than developing distinct points. The opening sentence also moves quickly between the two views and your own position, making the argument harder to follow. Use each body paragraph to develop one main idea, and connect examples explicitly to that idea. More precise referencing and fewer repeated transitions would make the organisation feel less mechanical.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “universities,” “undergraduate and graduate programs,” “customs,” and “different backgrounds.” Some phrases show an attempt to express more specific concepts, such as “educational perspective.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations sound unnatural or are repeated, including “learn a German language,” “speak German language,” and “beautiful places.” Informal forms such as “u” are also unsuitable for an academic essay. These choices do not prevent the reader from understanding the overall message, but they reduce precision and fluency. Build a bank of natural collocations for language learning, travel and cultural exchange, and use standard formal spelling throughout.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, and the sentence beginning “Therefore, if you want to study at a German university…” shows that you can express a condition and its result. However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently in basic sentence patterns, sometimes making the reader pause. Examples include “Some learn for to travel,” “Some also learn working,” and “it have multiple reasons”; these contain faulty verb forms or agreement. Articles and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent, as in “a German language” and the capitalised “Someone” after a comma. Practise accurate verb patterns such as “learn to travel” or “learn for work,” subject–verb agreement, and article use. Then combine ideas using controlled complex sentences rather than relying mainly on short, repetitive structures.
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