Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-14

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)

There has long been a debate over whether competition at work, at school, and in daily life is a good thing. Some individuals believe that competition is beneficial, while others argue that we should try to cooperate with each other instead of competing against each other.

Advocates of this perspective maintain that competition is a good thing because it teaches us to concentrate on our work and motivates us to achieve our dreams. Another reason is that it also builds confidence in ourselves, which helps us work with different people. In addition, competition encourages us to manage our work on time and deal with different people.

Conversely, critics argue that we should try to help each other rather than challenge each other. We should care about others because not everyone likes competing with others. Furthermore, we should avoid rivalry so that unity can increase.

While both perspectives have merit, I am inclined to believe that competition is a good thing, but we should try to cooperate more instead of competing against each other. In this way, it can promote solidarity. Moreover, I think competition is also necessary because it builds confidence and encourages us to work with people and talk to them about different topics. This also teaches us how to handle difficult situations.

Having considered both perspectives, I believe that both competition and cooperation are important. We can learn unity through cooperation and can solve problems through challenges because challenges also teach us patience and how to control ourselves. This is a good thing because knowing how to control ourselves helps us face challenges. That is why both competition and cooperation are important in life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both competition and cooperation and providing a personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, the argument that competition 'teaches us to concentrate' or 'builds confidence' is stated but not sufficiently supported with concrete examples or deeper analysis. The ideas remain repetitive, particularly in the conclusion where the points made in the body paragraphs are restated without adding new depth. To reach a higher band, you should aim to provide more specific real-world examples or logical consequences for your claims to fully develop your arguments.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Conversely', and 'Furthermore' to link sentences. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and the flow between sentences can feel a bit repetitive. For instance, the transition between the discussion of competition and cooperation could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal structure of the paragraphs could be improved by ensuring that each sentence builds upon the previous one rather than simply restating the main point in different words.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic, repetitive phrasing such as 'good thing', 'different people', and 'deal with'. While these words communicate your meaning clearly, they do not demonstrate a wide range of vocabulary. There is little attempt to use less common or academic collocations. To improve, focus on incorporating more precise synonyms and topic-specific vocabulary related to professional and educational environments to show a more sophisticated command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the grammar is generally accurate and communication is not impeded, there is a lack of variety in sentence patterns. Most sentences follow a standard subject-verb-object structure. There are few complex structures, and when they are used, they are relatively simple. The punctuation is generally correct, but the overall control of grammar is limited to basic forms. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, while maintaining accuracy.

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

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