Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-04

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)

In recent time, competition is significantly increasing as compared to past. A number of individuals believe that competition at offices, at institutions and in daily life is a beneficial factor, while others believe that we should try to cooperate with each other rather than opposing against other. This essay will discuss both perspective along with valid reasons in the following paragraphs before presenting my view.

On the one hand, supporters of the foremost view argue that competition at traditional offices, at school and in daily life is a better thing because it enhances individual's practical skill and maximize productivity. This is primarily because competing against one another creates a competitive environment in which it enhance various skills in order to get promotion at job or to achieve high academic grades. For instance, in many multinational corporations, employees are ranked based on sales targets or performance metrics, and only the top performers are considered for promotions or bonuses. Consequently, this system pushes individuals to work harder, develop new skills, and think creatively in order to outperform their colleagues.

On the other hand, advocates of the second view argue that cooperating with each other is advantageous instead of opposing others because it builds relationship among others, which can be better for the future to solve any problem with them. Furthermore, at school teachers always taught students to become friends and in offices managing staffs always try to keep the clean environment between employees in order to build relation and discuss the problems arising while doing work. Because, competing with others creates a harsh environment, which leads to many consequences.

In conclusion, although assisting each other builds relationship to discuss though factors and to solve them, I believe that competition with others not only improve practical skills but also boost productivity while working or studying in competitive atmosphere.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both competition and cooperation and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, particularly the example of corporate performance metrics. However, the development is somewhat limited; the argument for cooperation is less detailed than the argument for competition, and the conclusion could have been more robust in synthesising the two views. To reach a higher band, ensure that both sides of the argument are explored with equal depth and that the personal opinion is integrated more naturally into the body paragraphs rather than just the introduction and conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two opposing views. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Furthermore', and 'Consequently' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive (e.g., 'at offices, at school and in daily life' is repeated verbatim). Improving the variety of linking phrases and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the flow and coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is some attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary such as 'multinational corporations', 'performance metrics', and 'competitive environment'. However, there are instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'opposing against other' (should be 'competing against others') and 'managing staffs' (should be 'management' or 'managers'). The range is sufficient but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Expanding the use of collocations and more academic synonyms would improve this score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'In recent time' (should be 'In recent times'), 'it enhance' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'teachers always taught' (tense inconsistency). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors in article usage and pluralisation. The control of complex structures is inconsistent, and the errors occasionally distract the reader. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent verb tense usage would significantly improve the accuracy of the writing.

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