Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-06

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people think that competition at work, at school and in daily life is a good thing. Others believe that we should try to cooperate more, rather than competing against each other.

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 6.5)

There is a debate regarding competition as a good or bad thing because some individuals believe competition in daily life such as at school or work is beneficial while others perception is to cooperate with each other instead of competing. This essay will discuss both perspectives before i present my own opinion.

Competition is beneficial in our daily life because it motivates us to keep working on our goals. When we compete with others we always try to do better and put more effort to achieve the best result. Furthermore, competition enables us to bring out our hidden talents and helps us to identify our lacking so that we can turn our weakness in our strength. For instance, a research on performance of employees showed that competition makes the employees more productive so that they can create a fair image which will help them to get promotion.

Competition is not always bring positive outcome specially when it becomes excessive so we should try to help each other rather than competing. When we will cooperate with each other for achieving a common goal, we will find our work more easier which will lead to fulfil the goals within a short time and also without any excessive work pressure. In addition, sharing our work or strategy with others will enhance our area of knowledge and combination of all strategies will allow us to achieve the best results with mental peace as absence of competition removes jealousy from our mind. Japan is the prime example where education system based on group work which enable students to have a broader mentality and cope with others easily without any competitive mentality.

While competition acts as a catalyst that keep motivating us to stay stick on our goals, i believe the real success can be achieved by cooperation and supporting each other because it will teach to us to respect others point of views and work in a team to achieve the highest outcome.

In conclusion, there is no denying that motivation is beneficial in our daily life but cooperating with each other will enable us to work in group for bringing the best outcome of any work.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both sides of the discussion and make your position clear: competition can motivate people, but cooperation is more valuable for achieving shared outcomes. The examples about employee performance and group work in Japan are relevant, and the conclusion reinforces your view. This meets the task well, while the discussion shows some of the development expected at a higher level. However, several claims remain broad: for example, the employee research is not explained, and the Japan example does not show specifically how group work improves students’ outcomes. Develop one or two examples with clearer details, and explain more fully when competition is useful and when cooperation is preferable, to make the argument more consistently convincing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall progression: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, your own position, and a conclusion. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “In addition,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the argument, and the central contrast is maintained throughout. This is a strong, logical structure. To make the progression more polished, avoid relying on formulaic transitions and make the relationship between ideas more explicit. For instance, the paragraph on cooperation moves from efficiency to knowledge-sharing and then to jealousy; a clearer explanation of how these points connect would improve flow. The final opinion paragraph also repeats ideas from the conclusion, so combining or differentiating these sections would make the ending more purposeful.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary to discuss the topic, including “motivates,” “hidden talents,” “common goal,” “productive,” and “competitive mentality.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and some topic-specific expressions help distinguish the two viewpoints. There are, however, several inaccurate or unnatural word combinations that limit precision, such as “identify our lacking,” “turn our weakness in our strength,” and “stay stick on our goals.” “Fair image” is also unclear in the context of promotion. Aim to learn vocabulary in natural collocations and check word forms and prepositions; this will make your meaning more precise without requiring unnecessarily complex words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including clauses with “because,” “when,” and “which,” and the overall meaning is generally clear. Some sentences are controlled, such as “When we compete with others we always try to do better.” However, errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction recur. Examples include “Competition is not always bring positive outcome,” “which enable students,” and “i believe”; the sentence beginning “When we will cooperate” also uses an unsuitable future form in this conditional context. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and verb patterns, and revise long sentences to ensure each clause is grammatically complete. More consistently accurate complex sentences would strengthen this area.

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