Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-12

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 discussed that competition at work, at school and in daily life is a good thing. However, some people believe that we should try to cooperate more, rather than competing against each other. I agree with this statement that we should be considerate of each other's journey and avoid competition against each other.

Everyone has different skills, pace and interests. People face their own struggles and have their own ways to deal with them. Competing against each other is not fair because not everyone has the same oppurtunities. Feeling of being under constant competition makes one sacrifice the quality of their work as one feel constant pressure and can not make better decisions. There are many disadvantages of competing against each other. For instance, in my friend's office, there are two employees who started their jobs together. They constantly compete against each other and never feels satisfied with their work. That is why one should make efforts to improve their skills rather than competing against each other all the time. This sense of competition takes away one's peace. As a result, people develop negative thoughts about themselves which reduces their capabilities and affects their well-being as well.

Though there are many disadvantages of competing against each other, there may be quite a few advantages as well. For instance, when students have healthy competition against each other, they try to do better. There are few examples where healthy competition has improved the outcome among people but this should not be made a habbit.

In conclusion, one who make an effort should be appreciated rather than comparing one's results with other people. People should be valued and respected for their work. Instead of comparing people, we should encourage them to become a better version of themselves.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You present a clear preference for cooperation, especially in the opening and conclusion, and you discuss both sides by describing pressure and dissatisfaction from competition as well as the motivating effect of healthy competition among students. However, the discussion is uneven: the advantages are mentioned only briefly, and the example about students is not explained in enough detail to show how competition improves outcomes. The office example is relevant, but its connection to the broader claim about fairness and well-being could be made more explicit. To strengthen the response, develop both views with specific reasoning and examples, and explain more precisely when competition may be useful and why cooperation should generally be preferred. The response meets the task’s length requirement; 28 words copied from the prompt were not counted.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph mainly opposing competition, a paragraph acknowledging its benefits, and a conclusion. Linking expressions such as “For instance,” “Though,” and “In conclusion” help signal the direction of the discussion. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes repetitive: “competing against each other” and related ideas recur several times without adding a new step to the argument. The transition from the office example to the general point about peace and well-being is also abrupt, and the brief paragraph on advantages feels underdeveloped. Use clearer topic sentences and connect each example explicitly to the claim it supports; vary references to competition and cooperation to make the flow less repetitive.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “constant pressure,” “healthy competition,” “capabilities,” and “well-being,” and the meaning is generally clear. However, the range is limited by repeated phrases such as “competing against each other” and “people,” while some expressions are imprecise or unnatural, including “different skills, pace and interests” and “takes away one’s peace.” There are also spelling errors, notably “oppurtunities” and “habb it” (written as “habbit”), which reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise collocations and a wider range of terms, such as “workplace rivalry,” “collaborate,” and “personal development.” Proofreading spelling and choosing natural word combinations would make the argument more fluent and exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “because,” “as,” and “though,” and most ideas remain understandable. However, errors in agreement and sentence construction occur often enough to limit control. For example, “one feel constant pressure” should be “one feels constant pressure,” and “two employees … never feels satisfied” should be “never feel satisfied.” The phrase “one who make an effort” also needs “makes,” while “There are few examples where…” would be clearer with an appropriate article and a more complete construction. Some sentences join several claims with repeated “as” clauses, making them awkward to follow. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and building complex sentences with clear clause boundaries.

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