Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-13

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)

Few individuals believe that rivalry at job, at school and daily routine is a superb thing.While others think that we should try to work together rather than vying against each other.In this essay, I will examine both perspectives before presenting my opnion on this matter.

On the one hand, numerous people argue that competing with each other on same task completion is the better option. One of the main reason for this is by having a rivalry between individuals on same task motivates them to work better than the other.In addition to this everyone must be try to complete his work faster than others to get an appreciation from the boss of the company where he used to work.For instance,A student works hard to get good grades in his exam than his friend. This is a healthy competition between two friends.

In contrast,Others believe that working together than competing is a more effective approach.One significant approach is that individuals with different mindset work togrther in a firm to make the company more successful and earn great profit.It is evident that unity plays a vital role in completion of different tasks and projects. Additionally,another reason to support this view is that the students at school and employes at their oiffices feels confident and comfortable with each other.It creates a good environment for woek.

In conclusion,although some people argue that rivalry is important,others believe that cooperation ia a more effective option.In my opinion,cooperation with each other is abetter approach because of its positive impact on society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both sides of the question and state a clear preference for cooperation in the conclusion. The examples about a student trying to earn better grades and colleagues working together are relevant, so the response remains focused on the topic. However, the discussion is only partly developed: the benefits of competition are mainly described as working harder or faster to gain appreciation, while the cooperation paragraph makes broad claims about profit and confidence without explaining how these outcomes arise. Your opinion is also stated most clearly at the end rather than developed through the essay. To strengthen the response, explain the consequences of each approach in more detail and connect your examples directly to your position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “On the one hand,” “In contrast,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the discussion. However, some connections feel mechanical, and the progression within paragraphs is not always smooth. For example, “In addition to this” introduces a related point, but the link between competition, completing work faster, and receiving appreciation could be made more explicit. The cooperation paragraph also moves from company success to unity and then to confidence without fully showing how these ideas connect. Use linking phrases selectively and develop each paragraph around a clear main idea, with explanations that lead naturally to the example or supporting point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “rivalry,” “cooperate,” “completion,” and “unity,” and the main ideas are generally understandable. There are also attempts to use more formal expressions, such as “plays a vital role.” However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or unnatural, as in “rivalry at job,” “same task completion,” and “a more effective approach” where the intended comparison is not expressed precisely. Spelling errors such as “opnion,” “employes,” and “oiffices” also reduce accuracy. Aim for natural combinations such as “competition in the workplace” and “work collaboratively,” and check spelling carefully. More precise vocabulary would help you express the differences between competition and cooperation clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast structure in “although some people argue that rivalry is important, others believe…”. However, control is inconsistent, and errors in sentence structure, agreement, articles, and verb forms occur often enough to make some sentences difficult to read. For example, “One of the main reason … motivates” has a number mismatch, while “everyone must be try” uses an incorrect verb pattern. The opening also joins two sentence fragments with a full stop: “While others think…”. Work on forming complete sentences, matching subjects and verbs, and using modal verbs correctly. Punctuation and spacing around sentence boundaries also need attention. Accurate simple sentences should be the priority before adding more complex structures.

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