Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-07-24

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 7.5)

Nowadays, there is an ongoing debate about whether competition is better in our daily life or cooperate. While some individuals believe that competition at work, at educational institute and in daily life is a good thing, others argue that we should try to cooperate more, rather than fighting against each other. This essay will discuss both views before reaching a logical conclusion. Personally, I support the view that competition is much better because it motivates people to perform better and encourages innovation.

On the one hand, there are several reasons why some people believe that competition encourages masses to work harder because they want to achieve better results than others. The primary reason is the winning competitions increases self confidence and motivates people to set higher goals in the future. This is due to the fact that it pushes individuals to improve their knowledge, abilities, and overall performance. For example, a survey conducted by the Cambridge University has approved that in workplaces, competition encourages employees to complete tasks more efficiently and meet deadlines due to its productive outcomes. Therefore, competition helps learners and employees to build self confidence and perform their tasks more effectively than others.

On the other hand, those who support cooperation is more essential argue that it offers many benefits. The most significant one is the cooperation allows people to share different ideas, leading to more effective solutions. In other words, working together builds trust, respect, and long-lasting relationships among individuals. Another reason is the many important tasks can only be completed successfully when people work together, which means a cooperative environment reduces pressure because people support each other instead of constantly trying to win. As a result teamwork helps individuals develop communication and interpersonal skills, which are essential in everyday life.

To conclude, although both viewpoints have their own merits, I believe that competition is more beneficial because it motivates people to work harder, improve their skills, and achieve their full potential. Therefore, it should be encouraged.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have addressed all parts of the task by discussing both competition and cooperation and providing a clear personal opinion. Your position is consistent throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, particularly the arguments regarding motivation and innovation. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting examples are more specific; for instance, while you mention a 'survey conducted by Cambridge University,' providing a more concrete detail about the nature of that study would strengthen the argument. Overall, the response is well-structured and directly answers the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'To conclude' effectively to guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two viewpoints. However, some transitions could be more sophisticated to improve the flow between sentences. For example, the link between the idea of 'trust' and 'communication skills' in the second body paragraph could be more explicitly connected to ensure a smoother progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'ongoing debate,' 'productive outcomes,' and 'interpersonal skills.' There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'educational institute' (should be 'institutions') and 'those who support cooperation is more essential' (should be 'those who believe cooperation is more essential'). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, there is room for more precise collocations to elevate the tone. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly without any significant impediment to the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are some grammatical slips, such as 'the winning competitions increases' (should be 'winning competitions increases') and 'the many important tasks' (should be 'many important tasks'). Additionally, there are minor issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage. Despite these errors, your meaning is always clear, and the errors do not impede communication. To improve, focus on proofreading for small grammatical inconsistencies and try to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence structures, such as conditional clauses.

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