Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-13

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)

In recent times, residents argue that competition at work, at school and in daily life is a good activity, whereas other individuals assert that we should attempt to cooperate with each other instead of competition. I shall discuss both perspectives before providing my own opinion.

On the one hand, people contend that competition is a vital element to succeed in both professional and personal life. If we don't compete with each other in different stages of life, we are more likely not to understand the bitter realities of life which are imperative to transform us into the wise citizens. For instance, my friend thinks that if he is involved in a competition with his co-workers in a company, his chances of getting promotion and learning new skills are far better than others. Moreover, competition is a catalyst which can expand the speed of human evolution to a great extent. If there had not been any competition in human history, we would still be living in caves.

On the other hand, inhabitants believe that competition is a negative activity in our lives. It generates enmity among children, collegues and neighbors. We should be friendly with each other and it will build harmony in the society. As an example, my cousin believes that if there is no grouping in his university class, students will assist other fellows to prepare assignments, presentation and exams. Futhermore, they also believe that we should prefer cooperation as it is a part of our culture.

In my opinion, competition is as crucial as the higher education, life skills and work experience because it can open new ways to explore different ideas which are necessary for advancements in all the fields. The opposite argument has some merit but it doesn't mean we should give up competition for the sake of friendly relationships. Therefore, maintaining competition outweigh the need of cooperation.

In conclusion, although the friendly environment among residents is good thing, it doesn't justify that we should not compete with each others. Developed countries are successful than the developing countries because they appreciate the competition among the general population.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both competition and cooperation before clearly stating a position. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of professional advancement and social harmony. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The argument for competition is supported by a logical link to human evolution, but the explanation of why competition outweighs cooperation in the conclusion is slightly underdeveloped. The position is clear throughout, but the supporting examples, such as 'my friend' or 'my cousin', are a bit anecdotal and could be more generalized to better suit an academic essay format. Overall, the task is well-addressed with a consistent viewpoint.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore' are used to guide the reader through the arguments. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as in the final paragraph where 'it doesn't justify that' is used awkwardly. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different perspectives, contributing to a clear progression of ideas throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use less common items like 'catalyst', 'imperative', and 'enmity'. However, there are some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'residents argue' (instead of 'some people argue') and 'grouping' (instead of 'collaboration' or 'teamwork'). Some phrasing is slightly unnatural, such as 'maintaining competition outweigh the need of cooperation'. While the range is sufficient to convey meaning, more precise academic vocabulary would elevate the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several error-free sentences, but errors persist, particularly with articles and subject-verb agreement, such as 'maintaining competition outweigh' (should be 'outweighs') and 'are successful than' (should be 'are more successful than'). Punctuation is generally handled well, though some phrasing is slightly awkward. The grammatical errors do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. Greater control over complex structures and more consistent accuracy in basic grammar would be beneficial.

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

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