Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-05

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 the present time, individuals face competition in every situation like in education, getting jobs or in everyday life. Some individuals claimed that competition is a driving force behind success in education, the workplace, and everyday life. However, other argue that cooperation brings greater benefits to individuals and society. In my view, cooperation gives long-term success in individual life.

On the one hand, competition motivates people to improve performance and strive for excellence. In schools, learners often work hard when they achieve higher grades than their classmates. Likewise, in the workplace employees become more productive when they get high rewards based on their performance. This environment can stimulate creativity and innovation, enable individuals to reach their full potential. For example, without competition individuals can not improve their self in today’s competitive society

On the other hand, cooperation fosters teamwork, mutual support, and sharing of knowledge, which are essential in today's interconnect world. Most modern professions required people to collaborate effectively rather than work in isolation. For example, doctors, engineers, and software developers rely on teamwork to solve complex problems that no single person cannot manage alone. Furthermore, cooperative environments reduce unnecessary stress and promote stronger relationships, leading to higher job satisfaction and improve overall well-being.

In my opinion, the most successful societies are approaches the teamwork to innovate something new. Healthy competition can inspire individuals to perform at their best, but it should never undermine the teamwork. Cooperation creates more opportunities for people to combine their strengths, resulting outcomes that are more innovative and sustainable than individual achievements.

In conclusion, although competition has motivating people to work independently, cooperation is the more beneficial for individual.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the benefits of competition and cooperation while clearly stating a personal position. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, particularly in the body paragraphs. However, the development is slightly uneven; for instance, the example regarding 'doctors and engineers' is effective, but the argument for competition could be further extended with more specific real-world examples. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that all supporting points are fully explored with equal depth.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized 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', 'Likewise', and 'Furthermore' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, there are minor issues with referencing and flow; for example, the phrase 'the most successful societies are approaches the teamwork' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the logical progression. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the use of linking words is generally effective, though occasionally mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly. You have used some topic-specific vocabulary such as 'innovation', 'productive', 'interconnect world' (though this should be 'interconnected'), and 'sustainable'. There are some instances of slightly inaccurate word choices or collocations, such as 'improve their self' instead of 'improve themselves' and 'innovate something new' which is slightly redundant. While the range is adequate for the task, incorporating more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items would help elevate the score to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'other argue' (should be 'others argue'), 'no single person cannot manage' (a double negative error), and 'although competition has motivating people' (incorrect verb form). These errors do not generally impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of modal verbs and participle phrases.

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