Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
It is often argued that competition in the workplace, education and in everything of life has a positive effect, others think that cooperation is better than competition.
In my opinion, although healthy competition is a good thing because it motivates people to work hard and improve their performance, cooperation encourages people to work together and support each other ideas. Overall, cooperation is more beneficial because it motivates people to work as a team and build good relationships with each other.
On the one side, healthy competition motivates people to work hard, polish their skills and improve their performance. For example, when students have to compete their classmates, they do hard work and study seriously to gain good marks. For instance, employees work harder when they find competition at the workplace to win the promotion and bonuses.
As a result, healthy competitions are always good because it always encourages people to work hard and improve their performance.
On the other side, Cooperation creates teamwork among people. When different minds give different ideas on a query, we have more options to select the better one. It also improves employees relationships with each other. For example, when employees work together, they find different ideas, support each other and solve the difficult projects successfully.
As a result, Cooperation is much more important because it's not only creates teamwork but also builds good relationships among employees.
In my opinion, healthy competition is a good thing because it motivates people to improves their skills and do work hard to stay competitive in the market. However, cooperation promotes teamwork among people. Overall, Cooperation is more beneficial because it creates teamwork and builds good relationships among people.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both competition and cooperation before providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, though the development is somewhat repetitive. For instance, the argument that competition 'motivates people to work hard' is repeated in the introduction, the body paragraph, and the conclusion without adding significant depth or new dimensions. While the position is clear, the supporting examples—such as students gaining marks or employees winning bonuses—are quite generic. To reach a higher band, you should aim to extend your arguments with more nuanced analysis or specific, varied examples rather than restating the same points in different words.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. The use of cohesive devices like 'On the one side', 'On the other side', and 'As a result' helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, the transitions are somewhat mechanical and repetitive. For example, the phrase 'As a result' is used to conclude both body paragraphs, which makes the flow feel a bit predictable. Additionally, some referencing is slightly awkward, such as 'support each other ideas' (missing a possessive 's') and 'it's not only creates', where the grammatical structure disrupts the flow of the sentence. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'workplace', 'promotion', 'bonuses', and 'teamwork'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of imprecise word choice or collocation errors, such as 'everything of life' (should be 'all walks of life') and 'compete their classmates' (should be 'compete with their classmates'). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and less common lexical items. The current vocabulary is sufficient to communicate, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'support each other ideas' (missing possessive), 'it's not only creates' (incorrect verb form after 'not only'), and 'motivates people to improves' (incorrect infinitive form). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article usage issues throughout. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the essay from reaching the 7.0 band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of infinitives will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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