Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-08

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 6.5)

Some people believe that having a competition at work, at school and in daily life is healthy. While others believe that we should try to collaborate and build team work more rather than compete. This essay will discuss both views and provide my opinion that a balance between competition and cooperation is the greater option.

On one hand, it is common for people to compare their achievements, status, and lifestyle to others. This somehow results to having a competition between individuals to prove that they are better than others. For example, at work, employees' performances are compared to their peers to assess who should be receiving a higher merit increase or annual bonus. This also helps the management decide who will be promoted to an open position. As a result, employees will work harder and even go the extra mile to exceed what is expected from them to be recognized. Competition will have advantages to the associate as they will ensure that they have the right skillset for them to perform best at work and the company will also benefit as this will improve productivity and overall performance of the company.

On the other hand, others believe that collaborating and cooperating with others are better rather than competing. For instance, at school, working in group projects develops certain skills like being a team-player and good communication. Both skills are highly regarded in the workplace setting, hence, it is helpful if students will acquire these skills while they are still in school and continue to develop them when they start working.

Therefore, I believe that while it is important to be competitive to achieve a specific goal, it is also equally important to know how to collaborate and work well with others as both will have benefits to the individual in the future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The essay addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both competition and cooperation while providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and supported by examples, such as the workplace merit system and school group projects. However, the development of the 'cooperation' argument is somewhat brief compared to the 'competition' section. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the benefits of cooperation with more depth or a specific real-world example, ensuring the two sides of the argument are balanced in terms of length and analytical detail. Your position is consistent throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use transition signals like 'On one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'Therefore' to guide the reader through your argument. The paragraphing is appropriate, with each paragraph focusing on a central theme. To improve, try to vary your cohesive devices further, as some transitions are quite standard. Additionally, ensure that the flow between sentences is smooth; for instance, the transition between the discussion of school projects and workplace skills could be more tightly linked to enhance the overall progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'merit increase,' 'productivity,' and 'team-player.' The meaning is consistently clear. However, the vocabulary is somewhat functional and lacks the 'less common' or 'sophisticated' items required for higher bands. There are minor collocation issues, such as 'results to having a competition' (should be 'results in competition'). To improve, focus on incorporating more precise academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetitive phrasing, which will help you move from a competent range to a more flexible and precise one.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. Most sentences are clear and easy to follow. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'Competition will have advantages to the associate' (should be 'for the associate') and 'collaborating and cooperating with others are better rather than competing' (should be 'is better than competing'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and preposition usage to ensure your complex sentences remain error-free.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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