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User-written IELTS example

Writing Academic Task 2 Band 8.0 Example

Original task prompt, user essay, band score, and related examples in the same report workspace.

282 words AcademicTask 2
Task 2

Illustrative target band for this original model answer.

Plan your answer

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Ideas to explore

  • Explain how difficulty following informal conversations, humour or local customs can make it harder to form friendships and feel included.
  • Show how language barriers can affect access to essential services, including healthcare, housing and employment.
  • Acknowledge that interpreters and language classes can help, while explaining why they may not remove immediate difficulties.

Suggested structure

  1. Introduce the issue and state a clear degree of agreement.
  2. Develop social consequences in one focused paragraph, using a concrete everyday example.
  3. Explain practical consequences in a separate paragraph and connect each example to its potential impact.
  4. Recognise possible support, then explain its limits.
  5. Conclude by restating the position and summarising the two main categories of problems.
Useful vocabulary & examples
a weaker sense of belonging
a reduced feeling of being accepted as part of a community

Being unable to follow group conversations may give newcomers a weaker sense of belonging.

essential services
important services people need, such as healthcare or housing support

Language barriers can make it harder to access essential services.

misunderstand official instructions
interpret guidance from an organisation or authority incorrectly

A person may misunderstand official instructions when completing a form in a second language.

translation services
professional or organised help converting spoken or written information into another language

Translation services can help patients explain their symptoms to medical staff.

Task Prompt

Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious social problems, as well as practical problems.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 8.0

In today’s globalised world, it is increasingly common for people to live in countries where they have to speak a foreign language. Some argue that this can cause severe social and practical issues. I completely agree with this statement, and in this essay, I will discuss the reasons for this and provide examples to support this view.

One major social problem is that limited proficiency can make ordinary interactions stressful. A newcomer may misunderstand local customs or find it difficult to interpret humour, which can lead to awkwardness and make it harder to form friendships. Even when people want to take part in community activities, they may feel excluded if they cannot follow conversations. Over time, this can result in loneliness and a weaker sense of belonging.

Language barriers also create practical difficulties because many essential services rely on clear communication. For instance, someone who cannot explain their symptoms accurately may struggle to receive appropriate medical care. Understanding rental agreements, completing official forms and communicating with an employer can also be challenging. A small misunderstanding in these situations may have serious consequences, such as missing an important appointment or failing to understand workplace instructions.

The severity of these problems will vary, and translation services or language classes can help. However, such support may not be immediately available, and learning a language well enough to manage complex situations takes time. Therefore, these measures do not remove the difficulties people may face in the meantime.

Overall, I agree that living in a country where one must use a foreign language can cause significant social isolation and practical complications. These challenges are particularly serious when clear communication is needed to access services or build relationships.

Targeted Improvement Tips

1
Make the introduction’s roadmap more informative by previewing the social and practical consequences you develop in the body paragraphs.
2
For each example, briefly explain the consequence: connect difficulty understanding a rental agreement or workplace instructions to a concrete risk.
3
Review repeated broad terms such as “difficulties” and “consequences”; replace some with precise language tied to the example, such as “misunderstand a medical instruction.”

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