Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-03

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 think that the only reason that someone should learn a foreign language is in order to travel or work in a foreign country. The other group of people thinks that this is not the only benefit. This essay will conclude this debate and provide a moderate answer which satisfies both points of view.

In today's modern world, learning foreign languages has become a necessity. Whether if someone wants to travel or wants to go for higher international education, learning a language is the most essential part of the process. It also helps you settle there and understand your collegues or co-workers better.

Some people argue that learning a language has some specific benefits like going abroad and studying but learning a language has many other benefits. It helps us understand other cultures and traditional values much better. Some people even have a hobby of learning language and its a fantastic hobby to have because people who know many languages tend to have greater possibility of surviving abroad.

In my case, I'm learning english to study abroad and but I know German language just because learning language is my hobby. I also know Hangul which I think that will definitely help me in my settlement and getting more comfortable in South Korea.

In conclusion, it is to be stated that language is not bound to a specific number of benefits. Learning language as a hobby not only increases your knowledge but it has various other benefits to look at.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both views and give a personal position, especially through the contrast between learning English for study and German as a hobby. However, the discussion is only partly developed: the first view is mainly linked to travel, work and education, while the broader benefits are stated generally, with cultural understanding as the main example. The opening promise to provide a “moderate answer” does not make your position precise, and the conclusion repeats that languages have many benefits rather than clearly weighing the two views. The response is also 242 words, eight words below the required minimum; this limits the space available to explain and support your ideas. Develop each view with a specific reason or example and state your opinion directly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, paragraphs presenting reasons and personal examples, and a conclusion. The sequence from practical reasons to wider benefits is generally understandable, and phrases such as “In my case” help signal a shift to personal experience. However, progression between the two views is not always clear. The second paragraph focuses on travel and education, while the next begins “Some people argue” but does not clearly distinguish the opposing position from your own. The conclusion also repeats earlier points rather than drawing them together. Some linking is mechanical, particularly repeated uses of “also” and “but.” Use clearer topic sentences to identify each view and connect examples explicitly to the point they support.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including terms such as “international education,” “traditional values,” “settlement” and “benefits.” There is some attempt to express abstract ideas about language learning beyond travel and work. However, the range is limited and several choices or collocations sound unnatural or imprecise, such as “greater possibility of surviving abroad,” “a specific number of benefits” and “benefits to look at.” Spelling and word-form errors, including “collegues” and “english,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise expressions and check spelling and capitalization. For example, explain that language learning can help people “adapt to life abroad” or “gain a deeper understanding of other cultures,” rather than relying on broad or awkward phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a conditional-style opening with “Whether if someone wants to travel” and a relative clause in “people who know many languages.” Most of the message remains understandable, but errors occur in several sentence patterns. “Whether if” is an incorrect construction; use “Whether someone wants to travel…” or “If someone wants to travel…”. In “I’m learning english to study abroad and but I know German language,” the conjunctions are combined incorrectly, and the article is missing before “German language.” The phrase “which I think that will definitely help” also combines incompatible clause structures. Review sentence boundaries, articles and clause formation, and proofread for capitalization and punctuation so that complex attempts are more consistently controlled.

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