Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-23

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)

some people say that the only reason for learning a foriegn languages is in order to travel to or work in a foreign language . while practical needs related to international mobility are strong motivaters, I firmly believe that learning a new language offers numerous personal and culturals benefits beyind travel and employment.

On the one hand, learning a foriegn languages is essential for people who move abroad. for working proffesionals, lnowing the local language helps them to communicate with colleagues, perform daily task, and advance in thier careers. Similarly, travelers need basic language skills to ask for directions buy food and tavel safely in new country becuase learning alanguage takes a lot of tijmme and effort many peopke focus on it only when they have these practical needs.

On the other hand side, there are several oother advantages to learning a new languages. first it is grat exercise for brain. research shows that learning languages improves memory, focus and problem solving skills.

conclusion, working ans travelling in a foriegn country are common reasons to study a languae, they are not the only ones. i believe thatt learning a new language is always worthwhile .

AI examiner evaluation

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

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You present a clear opinion that language learning is worthwhile beyond travel and work, and you address both views: practical needs are discussed in the second paragraph, while cognitive benefits appear in the third. However, the response addresses the task only partially because the ideas are limited and under-developed. For example, you mention improved memory, focus and problem-solving, but give no explanation or example to show how these benefits matter. The practical view is also brief, and the opposing view is not explored in much depth. The response contains 174 words, below the required 250; 21 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Develop each view with explanation and a relevant example, then expand your own position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable overall arrangement: an introduction, a paragraph about practical reasons, a paragraph about other benefits, and a conclusion. Linking phrases such as “On the one hand,” “Similarly,” and “On the other hand” help signal the discussion. However, progression is limited because the paragraphs are very short and the ideas within them are not consistently connected. In the practical paragraph, the sentence beginning “Similarly, travelers…” runs into the explanation about time and effort without clear punctuation or a linking structure. The final paragraph also begins abruptly with “conclusion.” Use complete, clearly separated sentences and develop each paragraph around one main point, with transitions that show how the supporting explanation relates to it.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “international mobility,” “colleagues,” “careers,” and “problem solving skills.” These choices show an attempt to discuss both practical and personal benefits. However, the range is limited, and repeated references to “learning a language” and “foreign country” make the response less flexible. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, such as “foriegn,” “motivaters,” “culturals,” and “beyind,” which can distract the reader. Some expressions are imprecise or awkward, including “exercise for brain” and “daily task.” Build a wider set of accurate topic-specific phrases and check spelling carefully; this will make your ideas clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, for example the sentence explaining that language skills help workers “communicate with colleagues, perform daily task, and advance in thier careers.” However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to affect clarity. The opening sentence has faulty plural and article patterns (“a foriegn languages”), while “travelers need basic language skills to ask for directions buy food” needs clearer grammatical coordination and punctuation. The sentence beginning “because learning alanguage takes…” is joined to the preceding idea without a suitable sentence boundary. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, including lowercase sentence openings and the fragment-like “conclusion.” Practise accurate sentence boundaries, articles, plurals, and coordinated clauses before attempting longer structures.

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