Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-08

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 5.0)

Some people think competition is good, while others think we should cooperate more rather than compete. However, I think neutrality is better because we have to compete with others, but sometimes we also need to cooperate.

Firstly, in my opinion, competition is important when we are in school, and every student wants to be first in class. In school, during studies and other co-curricular activities, we have to compete with others. During studies, if we are competing with each other, then it's a good thing. We also have to be cooperative in school, like sharing notes and helping other students during their studies.

Secondly, in my opinion, competition in daily life is not good for people because everyone is different from each other and has different goals and points of view. Some people compare themselves with other people, and then they think they are not good enough. We have to learn how to cooperate with others. A little compliment makes other people happy.

Today, people only want to compete with each other and they don't want to be cooperative. Competition is very high among people and those people who have not achieved anything in life see other people and they stress over things: Why don't I achieve those things? Why don't I have what the other people have?

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You give a clear general position in the opening: “we have to compete with others, but sometimes we also need to cooperate.” You also discuss competition in school and the possible harm of comparison in daily life. However, the task asks you to discuss both views, including competition at work, and the response gives little attention to the benefits of cooperation as a broader alternative. Several points are asserted rather than explained—for example, that competition in daily life “is not good” and that people become stressed—without a specific example or fuller reasoning. The conclusion is also missing, so your final position is not fully reinforced. The response is 32 words below the required minimum. Develop both sides more fully, address work, and add a concise conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs beginning with “Firstly” and “Secondly,” and a final paragraph about social pressure. This makes the main topics reasonably easy to follow. However, the final paragraph is not clearly connected to the preceding discussion and functions more like an additional point than a conclusion. The repeated framing “in my opinion” and repeated references to competition make progression feel somewhat mechanical. Some links between ideas also need clarification: the school paragraph moves from competing in studies to sharing notes without explaining how these approaches can be balanced. Use topic sentences that signal each paragraph’s purpose, connect examples explicitly to the argument, and finish with a conclusion that summarises your view.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main ideas, with relevant terms such as “co-curricular activities,” “cooperate,” “compare,” and “achieved.” However, the range is limited and several words or phrases recur frequently, especially “competition,” “people,” and “good.” Some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “neutrality is better,” which does not clearly convey your position, and “those people who have not achieved anything in life,” which is overly broad and may sound judgmental. “A little compliment” is also an awkward collocation in this context. Aim for more precise language to distinguish healthy competition from excessive comparison, and use varied terms for cooperation and personal success. This would make the argument clearer and more appropriate in tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use mostly clear simple sentences and attempt some longer structures, including “because everyone is different from each other and has different goals and points of view.” Meaning is generally understandable, and basic sentence patterns are often controlled. However, the range remains limited, with repeated reliance on simple statements joined by “and” or “because.” There are also some awkward constructions, such as “if we are competing with each other, then it's a good thing,” where the conditional does not express a precise general claim, and “Why don't I achieve those things?” within the final sentence, which makes the reported thoughts less smoothly integrated. Practise combining claims with accurate subordinate clauses and use a wider range of sentence forms, while checking punctuation around quoted or reported questions.

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