Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-02

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)

Many people believe that competition always pushes you to your best version. Your full potential is expressed when you have to win at your work, at school, and in daily life. While people think life is a race, I completely contradict this statement, and I am convinced that cooperation fosters strong relations with coworkers and friends and brings effectiveness in work.

On the one hand, competition has shaped the majority of sectors in the world; you have to be competitive for survival in daily life. For instance, every game that is played on a daily basis would be boring if there were no competition, and for the win, you have to be very competitive. Workers work with their passion in the factory to get the best employee award from the boss. It not only increases the efficiency of work but also motivates other subordinates to work from the heart. Competition has helped us to colonize space, marine, and every possible area. If there were no competition between the USA and the Soviet Union, we might not have gone to the moon. For absolute expression of our full potential, we need competition, and it is good even in our daily life.

On the other hand, many people argue that we are transformed from the Stone Age to this technological age because of cooperation among people. Competition may enhance efficiency, but for the qualitative work, cooperation is essential. For instance, people may do anything shortly to win, but that may have a detrimental effect on people's lives. We have defeated various pandemics and survived numerous natural calamities because we stood together. Our goal has to be gaining knowledge rather than only being first in the classroom.

In conclusion, while competition brings motivation, efficiency, and passion to the work, coordination increases the quality and builds good relations with coworkers at work.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both competition and cooperation while clearly stating a personal position. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of the space race and the importance of teamwork in overcoming pandemics. However, the development is somewhat uneven; while the competitive aspect is supported by historical examples, the cooperative side could be further extended with more specific real-world illustrations. The conclusion is a bit brief and does not fully synthesize the arguments presented in the body paragraphs. Overall, the position is clear and maintained throughout, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the two opposing views. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'For instance' are used appropriately to guide the reader. However, some transitions between sentences feel slightly mechanical, and the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly. The progression of ideas is generally clear, though the transition between the competitive nature of games and the colonization of space is a bit abrupt.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate and allows for the expression of ideas with reasonable precision. You use some good collocations like 'full potential', 'detrimental effect', and 'natural calamities'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'brings effectiveness in work' (better: 'improves workplace efficiency') and 'do anything shortly' (better: 'take shortcuts'). While the range is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the more sophisticated or idiomatic vocabulary that would push the score into the higher bands. The spelling is accurate throughout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good use of conditional sentences ('If there were no competition... we might not have gone...') and relative clauses. However, there are occasional grammatical slips, such as 'brings effectiveness in work' and 'work from the heart', which sound slightly unnatural. Punctuation is generally correct, and errors do not impede communication. To achieve a higher band, you should aim for more consistent control over complex structures and ensure that all phrasing sounds natural and idiomatic in an academic context.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.