Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-11
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 some people think that challenging in their professional, personal and in school life is a great thing. Others claimed that everyone have to ignore more, instead of challenging each other. In my opinion, taking part in any competition can be beneficial for us rather than just cooperate with others.The essay below will discuss both the views and reasons for competing with others in support of my answer.
To begin with, those who believe to comepete with others think that this challenge can be helpful for them in their professional life. For instance, when someone take part in competition they are try to build themselves for future challenges which is beneficial for them. As a result, this trend lead them into a great and successful person.
On the other hand, those who claimed that cooperating is a better option, rather than competing each other think that we should not create any mess for taking part in any competition. To illsutrate, some people who didn't want to do any challenge was basically very calm person, they just cooperate with others and mind their own buisness. From my perspective, taking part in something challenging can be beneficial for our mind and body such as if we compete somebody in any activity which can gives us confident and we see things differently. Therefore, this lead us into greater achievement.
To sum up these factors, Both views have different approach. Competing someone in any acticity would be great thing because this can lead us into better person. Those who think that minding our own buisness rather can compete with each other is the better option because they didn't wan to create any difficult situation. Personally, I believe that every individual have to take part in competition for their better lifestyle.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The essay addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is limited. For example, the argument for competition is supported by vague statements like 'build themselves for future challenges' without specific examples. Similarly, the counter-argument regarding cooperation is underdeveloped, relying on the assertion that people who cooperate are 'very calm' and 'mind their own business'. To reach a higher band, you need to provide more concrete, detailed examples and extend your reasoning to explain the 'why' and 'how' behind your points, rather than just stating them.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'To sum up'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the transition 'To illustrate, some people who didn't want to do any challenge...' is slightly awkward in context. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'this lead us into greater achievement', where the antecedent of 'this' is ambiguous. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between ideas will enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'great thing', 'good', and 'better'. There are also some noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'challenging in their professional... life' (should be 'competition') and 'competing someone' (should be 'competing with someone'). Spelling errors like 'comepete', 'illsutrate', and 'buisness' also occur. To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition and ensure your word choices are accurate in a formal context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('everyone have to', 'this trend lead them'), incorrect verb forms ('they are try to build', 'which can gives us'), and missing articles. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that verb tenses are used consistently throughout your writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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