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)

Some individuals consider learning native language of another country is only important in case we work or travel there but some say the differently thinking these are not the only reasons. We will look and discuss both opinions but I also think there are more possible reasons.

On one hand people who think that learning a foreign language is for work or travel only because it's what they count and use it for like they have no purpose to use it in their personal life where they don't need it and they consider it just a necessary in times of need or some might think it as requirement but it varies according to the situation the person is in. These type of people also think it is some how a waste of time or of less importance than the ones who think more broadly.

On the other hand some people consider learning a new language just because of their geniune interest and improving knowledge they like to explore new things of any kind. Learning a foreign can help understand about the background and general and cultural differences by making relationships with foreigners. I think personal interest and having proper understanding is more important because this way we have opportunity to deepen our mental satisfaction and learn more through other ways than just work or travel like building relationships online like in todays world with people from outside countries for example as we know that english is unversially important but people don't only learn it to so freelance work or when they travel if they do so but also to make better relationships with foreign inidivuals through social media and other platforms today.

Overall pupils who think learning a new language is just important for work and travel and others who think there are more reasons are both are understandable.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and state your own position: the introduction says there are “more possible reasons,” and the final body paragraph supports personal interest and relationships. The discussion is relevant, but the first view is mostly described as people seeing language as useful or necessary for work and travel; it would be stronger with a concrete explanation of how language helps in those situations. The alternative view is more developed through cultural understanding and online relationships, although these points are crowded into one long paragraph and not fully explained. Your conclusion says both positions are “understandable,” which weakens the clarity of your own opinion. Develop each view with a specific example and restate your preference clearly at the end.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph beginning “On one hand,” a contrasting paragraph beginning “On the other hand,” and a conclusion. These signposts help readers follow the two sides. However, progression within paragraphs is less controlled. The second body paragraph moves from personal interest to cultural differences, then mental satisfaction and social media, with several ideas joined in one extended sentence. The first body paragraph also repeats the idea that language is useful only when needed without clearly advancing the explanation. Some references, such as “these” in the introduction and “they” in the first body paragraph, are not fully precise. Use shorter units to develop one main point at a time, and connect examples explicitly to the claim they support.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “cultural differences,” “personal interest,” “relationships,” and “freelance work,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. However, the range is limited by repeated general words such as “think,” “important,” and “people,” and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate. For example, “learning a foreign can help understand about the background” is unclear, while “make better relationships with foreign individuals” is not a natural expression. There are also spelling errors such as “geniune,” “unversially,” and “inidivuals,” which reduce accuracy. Build a more precise set of phrases for discussing motivation and practical benefits, and check spelling and collocations during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including contrastive clauses and explanations, but control is inconsistent. Several long sentences contain multiple clauses without clear grammatical boundaries; for instance, the sentence beginning “On one hand people who think…” continues through several ideas and becomes difficult to follow. There are also recurring errors with articles, agreement, and sentence construction, as in “a foreign can help understand” and “both are understandable.” The opening sentence also lacks a clear grammatical structure around “learning native language.” These problems sometimes make the intended relationships between ideas unclear. Practise building accurate subject–verb sentences first, then add one subordinate clause at a time, using full stops to separate distinct points.

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