Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-12

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)

It is argued by someone that the only reason for learning a foreign language is in order to travel to work in a foreign countrymwhile on the other hand other says that these are not the only reason why someone should learn a foreign language.In todays interconnection world acquring a foreign language has becom a widespread pursuit. while some people content that the sole motivation for learning a new language is to facilitate travel or secure employment abroad other argue that there are numerous other valuable reasons to do so.

In my openion, while practical utilities like travel and career advancement are significant language learning offers profound congnitive and culture brnrfits that go far beyond geographic mobility.

On the other hand the practical advantage of language learning reguarding career or education provide large and wide range of opportunities and tourisim are undeniable.

In conclusion while traveling smoothly and advancing ones career are highly compelling and practical incentives to study a foregin language, they represnt only a fraction of the overall value. In my view the mental stimulation and the profound cross culture understanding achieved through language learning are equal if not more, important reasons for undertaking this rewarding journy.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You give a clear opinion that language learning has value beyond travel and work, identifying cognitive and cultural benefits. You also mention practical advantages such as career opportunities and tourism, so both views are present. However, the discussion is only partial: the practical view is stated briefly, and the wider benefits are named but not explained with reasons or examples. The conclusion repeats your position rather than developing it. The response contains 184 words, below the 250-word minimum; 15 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. This limits the space available to address both sides fully. To strengthen the response, explain each view in a separate developed paragraph and include a relevant example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a recognisable overall shape: an introduction, a statement of your opinion, a paragraph about practical benefits, and a conclusion. The contrast between the two views is also signalled with phrases such as “while” and “On the other hand.” However, progression is limited because the body contains little explanation, and the conclusion arrives without a developed discussion of the broader reasons introduced earlier. Some linking is awkward or repetitive, particularly the repeated contrast between “while” and “on the other hand.” Several sentences run together without clear punctuation, making relationships between ideas harder to follow. Use distinct paragraphs for each view, connect each claim to an explanation or example, and check sentence boundaries and transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt vocabulary suited to the topic, including “career advancement,” “cognitive,” “cross culture understanding,” and “mental stimulation.” These choices show an effort to express ideas beyond basic travel and work. However, spelling errors and inaccurate word forms are frequent and sometimes make the reader pause: examples include “acquring,” “congnitive,” “brnrfits,” “foregin,” and “journy.” Some combinations are also unnatural, such as “practical utilities” and “large and wide range of opportunities.” These issues keep the vocabulary from being consistently clear and precise. Proofread spelling carefully, and learn common collocations as complete phrases—for example, “practical benefits” and “a wide range of opportunities”—rather than relying on near-synonyms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrastive structure beginning “while practical utilities…” and a concluding comparison with “equal if not more.” Your main position is generally understandable. However, control is uneven: the opening sentence is a run-on, and several sentences lack clear punctuation or complete grammatical structure. For instance, “On the other hand the practical advantage … provide” has a mismatch between the singular subject “advantage” and the plural verb “provide,” while “In todays interconnection world” also shows problems with the possessive form and sentence construction. These errors sometimes make the intended relationships difficult to follow. Practise building complete sentences with one clear main clause, then check agreement, articles, and punctuation before adding subordinate clauses.

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.