Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-11

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 5.5)

It is often argued that few masses think that competition at workplace , at school and in every day routine is a good thing . However, others reckon that we should try to co-operate instead of competing against each other. Although both views have their own merits , I believe that cooperation is better than competing against others.

One the one hand, why some masses favour the former notion because of better performance. This is due to fact that competition encourage the curiosity get perfection from all competitors by learning and improving their performance wheather it can be at job , school and daily life which is useful in enhancing their confidence. For example, many schools and colleges organise different competitions for students for boosting their confidence and problem solving skills. Therefore, it enhanxe their performance.

On the other hand , I believe that cooperation is better than competition in workplace , school and daily schedule. one of the main reason for my approval to this view is learn from each other. This is because as not every person is perfect in everything. So we can learn from each other instead of competing. Another point in its favour is get help . To elaborate, if student can phase difficulty in understanding any subject they can easily get knowledge from their classmate and score good grades in exam . Thus , it helpful in creating friendly environment.

To conclude , even though both views have their own advantage, I believe that cooperation is better than competition because of get chance to learn from one another and get help in difficulty situation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses both sides of the question and gives a clear opinion: the introduction and conclusion state that cooperation is preferable, while the body paragraphs discuss competition and cooperation. The school-competition example is relevant, and the point that classmates can help one another supports the preferred view. However, some ideas are only briefly explained. For instance, the claim that competition improves performance and confidence would be stronger if it explained how this benefit applies beyond schools. The cooperation paragraph gives two related benefits, but the discussion could also consider a limitation or explain more fully why cooperation is preferable overall. Develop each main point with a clear explanation and a specific example to make the argument more convincing and balanced.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Linking phrases such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “To conclude” help readers follow the overall direction. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. The opening of the first body paragraph, “why some masses favour the former notion,” does not form a clear transition into the reason, and “Another point in its favour is get help” is difficult to follow. The ideas within paragraphs would progress more smoothly if each began with a clear topic sentence and then developed one point at a time. Use pronouns and linking expressions carefully so that references, such as “it,” have an unmistakable meaning.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate its main ideas, including “competition,” “co-operate,” “performance,” “confidence,” and “friendly environment.” It also attempts some less common expressions, but word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the meaning harder to understand. Examples include “few masses,” “get perfection,” “daily schedule,” and “phase difficulty.” Spelling errors such as “wheather” and “enh anxe” (written as “enh anxe” in the response) also reduce accuracy. Aim for natural, precise phrases rather than translating ideas word for word; for example, use “some people,” “strive for excellence,” and “face difficulties.” Proofreading for spelling and word forms would make the vocabulary more effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

There is an attempt to use both simple and complex sentence forms, including a concession in “Although both views have their own merits” and a conditional example beginning “if student can…”. The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. Examples include “competition encourage” instead of “competition encourages,” “One the one hand” instead of “On the one hand,” and “one of the main reason” instead of “one of the main reasons.” Articles and sentence construction also need attention in “if student can phase difficulty” and “Thus, it helpful.” Practise checking subject–verb agreement, articles, and complete verb phrases, then review punctuation and spacing. More accurate control of these patterns would make the complex sentences easier to follow.

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