Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-14

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 4.5)

The world has been paying serious attention to the topic of learning a foregin language. With evidence both for and against it, the issue has become a major concern. This essay will explore [learning a foreign language, discussing its pros and cons, along with causes, effects, and potential solutions. The goal is to reach a well-founded resolution on learning a foreign language, supported by reasons and examples.

Many support the idea of learning a foreign language, recognizing its crucial role and merits. It's important to note that the question of learning a new foreign language is decisive. Some people analyze the positives and underlying causes before giving their approval. For e.g., learning a new language helps to broaden their horizon for applying jobs as they can work in foreign country and will create a significant impact in their profie.

Looking more broadly, we must carefully examine the downsides and impacts of learning a foreign language. Certain claims highlight the negative consequences, citing instances where unintended effects have surfaced. E.g., Sometime learning a foreign language makes people questioned their worth, which lower their self-esteem and creates self-doubts. These impact their mental health just because they did not excel the interview.

In conclusion, despite the arguments presented here, it's clear that the impact of learning a foreign language is open to debate. Focusing solely on its merits is not enough, as there are counterarguments that complicate the issue.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response touches on learning a foreign language for employment and briefly mentions a possible personal cost, but it does not adequately discuss both views in the question. The first body paragraph focuses on job opportunities abroad, while the second presents low self-esteem after failing an interview as a downside; this does not explain the view that language learning has purposes beyond travel or work. Your own opinion is also unclear: the conclusion says the issue is “open to debate” rather than stating which view you support. The introduction promises causes, effects and solutions, which are not what the task asks for. The response is 14 words below the required minimum. To improve, address both stated views directly, give relevant examples, and make your position explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a recognisable essay structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, and phrases such as “In conclusion” help signal the final paragraph. However, the progression is not consistently logical because the essay announces “pros and cons” and “potential solutions” but does not develop these as a clear response to the prompt. The second body paragraph shifts to self-esteem and interview failure without explaining how this supports either view in the question. Linking phrases such as “Looking more broadly” and “despite the arguments presented here” are used, but they do not establish clear relationships between the ideas. Organise the body around the two views, use topic sentences that state each view, and connect examples explicitly to the point being made.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response attempts a range of formal and topic-related vocabulary, including “crucial role,” “underlying causes,” “significant impact” and “counterarguments.” These choices show an effort to use language beyond basic vocabulary. However, the range is uneven and some expressions are inaccurate or awkward, which can make meaning less clear: “broaden their horizon for applying jobs” and “did not excel the interview” do not express the intended ideas naturally. There are also spelling errors, including “foregin” and “profie,” and the repeated use of general terms such as “impact” and “issue” limits precision. Aim for accurate collocations and vocabulary directly relevant to the prompt, such as “career opportunities,” “communicate with local people” and “cultural understanding.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple and more extended sentence forms, including the opening clause “With evidence both for and against it” and the sentence beginning “Focusing solely on its merits.” Some sentences communicate their main point clearly, and the overall meaning is generally recoverable. However, errors in sentence construction and agreement occur, as in “Sometime learning a foreign language makes people questioned their worth,” where the verb pattern is faulty, and “These impact their mental health,” where the subject–verb relationship is unclear. The opening also contains an unmatched square bracket before “learning a foreign language,” disrupting punctuation. Work on verb patterns after “make,” subject–verb agreement, and proofreading punctuation; then practise combining ideas in accurate complex sentences.

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