Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-07-29

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 8.0)

Some people believe that competition in workplaces, schools, and everyday life is beneficial, while others argue that cooperation is more important. Although competition can encourage people to perform better, I believe that cooperation is more valuable because it leads to greater success and stronger relationships.

On the one hand, competition can motivate people to work harder and achieve their goals. When individuals compete with one another, they often push themselves to improve their skills and perform at their best. For example, students may study more seriously to obtain higher grades than their classmates, while employees may work more efficiently to earn promotions or bonuses. As a result, competition can increase productivity and encourage personal development.

On the other hand, cooperation allows people to combine their strengths and achieve better outcomes together. In many situations, teamwork is more effective than individual effort because different people contribute different skills and ideas. For instance, doctors and nurses must cooperate closely in hospitals to provide the best possible care for patients. Similarly, students working on group projects can learn from one another and complete tasks more successfully. Furthermore, cooperation helps build trust, improves communication, and creates a more positive environment.

In my opinion, although a certain level of competition is healthy, cooperation should be encouraged in most aspects of life. Excessive competition can create stress, jealousy, and unhealthy rivalries, whereas cooperation promotes mutual support and long-term success. In today's world, many challenges, such as climate change and global health issues, require countries and individuals to work together rather than compete.

In conclusion, while competition can motivate people to improve and achieve success, I believe cooperation is more beneficial because it encourages teamwork, stronger relationships, and better overall results.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt. You clearly present both sides of the argument regarding competition and cooperation and provide a well-supported personal opinion. The ideas are extended logically, such as the comparison between individual productivity in competition and the collaborative necessity in professional fields like healthcare. The conclusion effectively synthesizes your position. To reach a Band 8 or 9, you could further develop the 'daily life' aspect of the prompt, perhaps by discussing how cooperation impacts social cohesion or community building, which would add even more depth to your analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between paragraphs is smooth, using phrases like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' effectively. Cohesive devices are used naturally throughout the text, such as 'For instance,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In conclusion.' The referencing is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for an academic essay. The flow of information is consistent, making the argument easy to follow from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'mutual support,' 'unhealthy rivalries,' and 'personal development' are used accurately. While the vocabulary is appropriate and natural, it is generally standard. To achieve a higher band score, try to incorporate more sophisticated or idiomatic collocations (e.g., 'foster a collaborative spirit' or 'the cut-throat nature of modern society'). There are no spelling errors, and the word choice is consistently clear and appropriate for the academic context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The essay displays a good variety of complex structures, such as conditional-like structures ('If... then' implied) and subordinate clauses ('Although competition can encourage...', '...because it leads to...'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation is excellent. The grammar is stable throughout, and there are no significant errors that impede communication. To push into the Band 8 or 9 range, you could experiment with more varied sentence beginnings or more advanced inversion structures to demonstrate even greater flexibility.

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