Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-15

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 at workplaces or school is considered good for fame and opportunities , and others believe that cooperation is a better than competing against each other because of sharing your work and relying on your mates. I believe competing against your friends or office members is better thing to do rather than cooperate.

First of all, competing against your friends and office workers makes you realise how far you're behind against them. The person with the highest work skills or a topper of a class always provide benefits, and the fame from a teacher or a boss would helps you to grab the future opportunities. For instance, institutions always divide the students based on the performance they delivered during initial test held by institutions, student with high performance is their primary target to provide benefits.

On the other hand, maintaining the cooperation with your friends or office members helps you to rely on them. Depending on your friends or workers, share the burden with each other, and solve the problems or make a decisions always very effective, when you collaborate. However, the final reward might not shared to a group. Especially, the fame or credits could go to other member in a group, although you contributed a lot that doesn't mean you will deserve what you provided to a group.

In conclusion, i believe that we have to maintain competitive environment in a workplaces or schools, even though contribution or cooperation provides some benefits, but in the end, the boss or a teacher care specific individual ,who standout in front of them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal position. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that competition helps in gaining 'fame and opportunities', the explanation remains quite superficial. The example regarding institutions dividing students is relevant but could be expanded to better illustrate the long-term impact of competition. The discussion on cooperation is also a bit brief, focusing primarily on the potential for credit-stealing rather than exploring the broader benefits of teamwork. To improve, ensure that each main point is supported by a more detailed explanation or a more concrete, well-developed example.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to signal transitions. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly abrupt. For instance, the jump from discussing cooperation to the issue of credit-sharing is a bit sudden. Additionally, the use of referencing could be more precise to ensure that the relationship between ideas is always clear. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would elevate your score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'competitive environment' and 'collaborate'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'fame' (which is usually reserved for celebrities rather than workplace recognition) and 'topper of a class'. There are also some minor collocation issues, such as 'maintain the cooperation' instead of 'maintain cooperation'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary and ensure that your word choices are contextually appropriate for an academic essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('boss or a teacher care' should be 'cares'), missing articles ('in a workplaces' should be 'in workplaces'), and awkward phrasing ('better thing to do rather than cooperate'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.