Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-09

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)

Human beings are diverse in nature. Therefore, while some believe that competition at work, at school and in daily life has positive effects on people, others argue that cooperation will have greater effect than competition. This essay will discuss both views before explaining why I strongly believe that a balance between both will be more effective.

On one hand, competition encourages people to bring out their best. This will benefit companies as it will promote productivity. Similarly, it encourages students to explore different reading materials in order to emerge the best, and same with our daily lives. Consequently, enhancing effectiveness and efficiency in different sectors of life. For instance, a manufacturer, who monopolized a product may hardly research on techniques or ways to improve production and satisfy consumers better, but with the emergence of a competitor, he will be more careful and efficient.

On the other hand, appropriate cooperation among members of the society is essential. Humans are social beings, who tend to function optimally in unity rather than solo. Building a good relationship with people around us could create avenue for proper development and growth in all spheres of life. For instance, a toddler's relationship with and support from his loved ones as well as his classmates in school, will facilitates his cognitive and psychological development, consequently making him a better person in the society.

In my opinion, both views have their various effects on humanity, therefore a balance between the two will be more beneficial to mankind.

In conclusion, while competition could bring out the best in people, cooperation promotes support and development among individuals. In my opinion, a balance between both will enhance effectiveness and efficiency in the society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both competition and cooperation and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported, such as the example of the manufacturer to illustrate competition and the toddler example for cooperation. However, the development of the 'balance' argument in the conclusion and the body paragraphs is somewhat brief. To reach a higher band, you should expand on how this balance is achieved in practice, rather than just stating that it is beneficial. The position is clear throughout, but the depth of analysis could be improved to fully explore the implications of both concepts.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'Consequently' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the paragraphing is a bit thin, particularly the very short paragraph for your opinion. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that each paragraph has a more robust structure would enhance the overall coherence. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some sentence structures could be more varied to improve the logical progression.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas clearly. Phrases like 'emerge the best,' 'cognitive and psychological development,' and 'function optimally' show a good grasp of topic-specific language. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'create avenue' (should be 'create an avenue') and 'same with our daily lives' (which is slightly informal). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more precise collocations and less common academic vocabulary would help elevate the score. The spelling is accurate throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'a manufacturer, who monopolized a product may hardly research' (missing comma or awkward phrasing) and 'will facilitates' (subject-verb agreement error). Despite these slips, the meaning is always clear, and the errors do not impede communication. To achieve a higher band, you should aim for more error-free complex sentences and ensure consistent control over verb forms and punctuation. The range of structures is sufficient, but greater accuracy in complex constructions is needed.

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

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