Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-01

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)

People have different views about whether individuals learn language for country they work or study or there are many other reasons to learn a foreign language is the better approach. While both perspectives have their own merits , I believe for knowing different culture language is the main key.

On the hand some people believe to travel or working for that country you ought to know the language of that country because if you don't know the language of that particular country you can't work there you can't understand the local and their demand or if you travel there you don't the language you might be stuck in that country in a sense you can't explore things correctly.

On the other hand, other believe that and also my opinion is that culture exploration if you want to explore someone's culture you should know the language of that culture or that country because you understand their culture properly. For instance I'm sindhi from province Sindh of Pakistan culture history is rich and one of the oldest civilization in the world I prefer if someone should know sindhi he/she can know Sindh's cultural history very well.

In Conclusion, although some people support learning a language for travel or work because it can assist them to understand the locals. I believe that learning a language for knowing their culture for fully is the one I support.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both views and state a personal preference: the opening favours language learning for cultural understanding, and the conclusion repeats this position. The examples about communicating with locals and your Sindhi background are relevant. However, the discussion is only partial: the travel/work view is explained briefly, while the cultural view relies mainly on one personal example and does not explore other reasons, such as education or relationships. Some claims, including that a person “can't work there” without the language, are too absolute and need qualification. The response also falls 17 words short of the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop and support both sides. Extend each main point with a specific explanation or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting contrasting views, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “On the other hand” and “In Conclusion” help readers follow the intended direction, and the position is repeated at the end. However, progression within paragraphs is uneven. The first body paragraph combines several consequences in a long, difficult-to-follow sentence, while the second moves quickly from a general claim to a personal example. Some linking is mechanical, and the opening sentence is hard to interpret because it joins competing ideas without a clear structure. Use one main point per sentence, connect each example explicitly to its claim, and make references such as “that country” and “their culture” more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “foreign language,” “travel,” “locals,” “culture,” and “cultural history.” Phrases such as “explore someone's culture” show an attempt to express ideas beyond basic travel vocabulary. However, the range is limited and some word choices or combinations are noticeably unnatural, which sometimes makes meaning less clear. For example, “culture exploration” and “for knowing their culture for fully” do not express the intended meaning naturally, while “understand the local and their demand” is imprecise. Build a more accurate set of collocations for discussing language learning, and check spelling and capitalisation, including “Sindhi.” The suggestions below offer more natural alternatives drawn from your response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including conditional structures such as “if you don't know the language” and a relative clause in “the language of that country.” These attempts show some range, but complex sentences are often faulty or run together, making relationships between ideas difficult to follow. For example, “you can't work there you can't understand” needs clearer sentence boundaries, and “other believe” has a subject–verb agreement error. There are also problems with articles, sentence construction, and punctuation, as in “On the hand” and the opening sentence. Practise building accurate sentences with one main clause and a clearly attached supporting clause, then check agreement, articles, and full stops.

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.