Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-13

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)

There are different opinions about why people learn a foreign language. Some believe people learn foreign language in order to travel to or work in a foreign country, while others think there could be other reasons as well. In my opinion, people learn foreign language for other reasons.

People who travel to other countries often feel difficult in comunicating with people in foreign language. Due to this, their work productivity and social life decreases. This makes life harder for them. People learn the foreign language when they tend to travel or work in foreign countries. Learning foreign language makes them more productive in work. They can easily communicate with native people for daily chores. Learning foreign language helps them to socialize with people around and engage in their activities.

In contrast, some people learn foreign language for other reasons like they have a hobby of learning new languages. They learn new language to gain more knowledge and learn different cultures of that foreign country. For example, when people learn new language like French they can read French books or novels and learn about France culture and tradition. They gain more knowledge of other things in France like history and food. People can learn foreign language for reasons other than travelling to foreign countries.

In my opinion, people learn foreign language to gain knowledge of the foreign countries and learn their culture.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You present both views and state your opinion, so the response is relevant to the question. The first body paragraph explains practical reasons for learning a language, including work and social communication; the second gives personal interest and cultural learning as alternatives, with French books as an example. However, the discussion is brief and several points are repeated rather than developed, and the conclusion mainly restates your view. The response contains 220 words, so it is 30 words below the 250-word minimum; the 11 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. This limits the space available to explain and support your ideas. Develop each view with a clearer example or consequence, and make your opinion more fully reasoned.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a concluding opinion. Transitions such as “In contrast” help signal the shift between the two sides, and the main ideas are generally easy to follow. However, progression within the first body paragraph is repetitive: the point that language helps people communicate and work effectively is made several times without adding much new information. The repeated phrase “People learn foreign language” also makes the links between sentences feel mechanical. Use clearer referencing and vary how you introduce supporting details; for example, explain how improved communication leads to a specific benefit before moving to the next point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “work productivity,” “socialize,” “cultures,” and “tradition.” The examples about French books and learning about France also show an attempt to use language beyond very basic terms. However, the range is limited and several phrases are repeated, especially “learn foreign language.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “feel difficult in comunicating,” “daily chores,” and “France culture.” The spelling error “comunicating” is also noticeable. Build a wider set of precise expressions for language learning, travel, employment, and cultural understanding, and check collocations and spelling when revising.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use mostly straightforward sentence patterns, with some attempts to connect ideas through clauses, as in “when they tend to travel or work in foreign countries.” The meaning is generally understandable, and the paragraph structure helps the reader follow your points. However, grammatical control is uneven, particularly with articles, plurals, and sentence patterns. For example, “learn foreign language” needs an article or plural form, while “People who travel to other countries often feel difficult” uses an incorrect construction; “often find it difficult to communicate” would be more accurate. “They can easily communicate with native people” is understandable, but the response would benefit from more varied and controlled complex sentences. Review article use and common verb patterns.

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