Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-06

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)

It is often argued that competition at schools, workplaces and generally in everyday life creates a positive impact in a persons life. Whereas others are of the opinion that we should be helping each other instead of trying to outcompete others .This essay will discuss both point of views further in the essay .

People who believe that competition is essential and beneficial in almost every aspect of life tend to do so for various reasons . The most common one is that it acts as a source of motivation for them to achieve their aims and goals, both personally and professionally.

In school many students are majorly working hard because of the competitive nature of the examinations and that they go an extra mile in order to outcompete other fellows .This is particularly due to them setting a benchmark to achieve particular marks to surpass their fellows which drives them to stay focused and work hard even when their mind tries to deviate towards other activities like videogames as when achieved would lead to pride and prizes .

Similarly even in professional workplaces companies set objectives for employees and aim to create a competitive environment by giving special bonuses to best employees and various awards and recognition so that employees work productively are motivated as they are aware of the benefits of outperforming other fellow employees improving quality of work as well.

On the other hand, many disagree that competition is useful rather they believe in focusing on collective effort instead of competing against others. This is because many view it as immoral as they believe it leads to toxicity in our lives . As in many workplaces many employees tend to be self focused because of the competition resulting in issues like jealousy and insecurities as instead of uplifting others many choose to misguide new employees even going as far as spreading hurtful rumors so that their reputation can be damaged in front of their superiors. This creates a damaging and toxic impact on a personal level as empathy is replaced by greed and other vices which affects the life of a person in all aspects .

In conclusion, even though competition especially toxic competition is very harmful for a persons life if people can be made aware and it is made sure that competition is not unhealthy then it can lead to a positive impact but only if it is to a certain extent as inspiration can be taken from our coworkers or fellow students helping us and others to achieve our goals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The essay addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the benefits of competition and the advantages of cooperation, while providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, particularly the discussion on the negative psychological impacts of workplace competition. However, the response could be improved by providing more specific, real-world examples rather than relying on general scenarios. The conclusion is a bit repetitive and could more explicitly state the final stance. Overall, the response is well-structured and fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the two main viewpoints is handled well with the phrase 'On the other hand'. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'as' to link clauses. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'this', 'these') is always precise and clear.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express complex ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, such as 'outcompete', 'benchmark', and 'vices'. However, there are some instances of slightly awkward phrasing or word choice, such as 'majorly working hard' and 'generally in everyday life creates a positive impact in a persons life'. Spelling errors, such as the missing apostrophe in 'persons' and 'point of views' (should be 'points of view'), also occur. Expanding the range of collocations would help elevate the lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent errors in punctuation and grammar, particularly regarding apostrophes ('persons life', 'coworkers') and subject-verb agreement. Some sentences are slightly run-on, such as the final sentence of the first paragraph. While the student attempts complex sentences, the control over them is inconsistent. To improve, the student should focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensuring that punctuation, especially commas and apostrophes, is used correctly to enhance readability.

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