Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-18

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 5.0)

Some individuals claim that the only purpose of learning a foreign language is in order to travel to or work in a foreign region. Others say that the purpose of language learning is not only for travel or work, but also for other reasons; they say this is why someone learns a foreign language.

Some people say language is not just for work or travel. They believe that a language is more than that, and they are right because they not only learn a language; they also learn its culture, society, and a lot more. For example if someone has a dream to continue studying in the USA so first they learn English then they research more about it because if you want to a new country so its cricual how people spend there life what is the culture and alot other things then they able to go and achieve his goals.

Others believe that language learning is only for work and travel, but they are wrong because when you visit a new country and you don't know the people's lifestyle and culture, it's hard to spend more time there because your communication is only enough for work and travel. For example, a few years ago I visited the UK, but I did not study their lifestyle, and when I arrived, I met someone; I was just asking about a hotel, and they did not answer, but I talked weirdly because I did not know how to communicate with the people there, so that was a very difficult time for me.

In my opinion, language is not just for work or travel; it is more than that.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both views and state your opinion that language learning has purposes beyond travel and work. The discussion is relevant, and the examples about studying in the USA and visiting the UK show an effort to support your points. However, the first view—that people learn languages specifically for travel or employment—is not explained in much detail, and the USA example focuses more on learning about culture than on how language helps with study. Your position is clearest in the final sentence, but it could be stated earlier and developed with reasons such as education, relationships, or access to literature. To strengthen the response, explain each side more fully and connect each example directly to the claim it supports.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, a paragraph presenting broader reasons, a paragraph discussing travel and work, and a conclusion. This makes the main topic easy to identify. However, the overall progression is not always clear: the second paragraph begins by repeating the opposing view before arguing for broader purposes, while the next paragraph shifts to the travel-and-work view but mainly explains why cultural knowledge matters. Repeated phrases such as “Some people say” and “not just for work or travel” make the links feel repetitive. Use clearer topic sentences to signal each side, then organise each paragraph around one main claim and its supporting example. More precise referencing would also help readers follow who “they” refers to.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the general ideas, including “foreign language,” “culture,” “society,” and “communication.” However, the range is limited and several expressions are repetitive or imprecise, such as “a lot more,” “spend more time there,” and “talked weirdly.” Spelling errors including “cricual” and “alot” also reduce accuracy, while phrases such as “continue studying in the USA” could be expressed more naturally as “pursue further studies in the USA.” Aim to use more precise language for the ideas you discuss, and check spelling and collocations carefully. This would make your examples clearer and help you avoid relying on repeated general phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and use clauses with “because” and “when,” but complex structures are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make parts of the response difficult to follow. For example, “if you want to a new country” is missing a verb pattern, and “then they able to go” lacks an auxiliary. In “I met someone; I was just asking about a hotel, and they did not answer,” the punctuation and connection between events are unclear. There are also problems with articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries. Practise building accurate sentences with one main clause and a subordinate clause, then check verb forms and punctuation before adding further ideas. Clearer sentence control will make your meaning easier to understand.

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