Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-16

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 7.5)

Competition is a common part of modern life. Some people believe that competing with others can motivate people to work harder and achieve their goals, while others think that cooperation is more important. In my opinion, both competition and cooperation have benefits, but cooperation is more useful in many situations.

On the one hand, competition can encourage people to improve their performance. For example, students who want to get better grades than their classmates may study harder and become more organised. In the workplace, employees may also work harder when they know that their performance is being compared with that of their colleagues. Competition can also be useful for companies because businesses need to offer better products and services in order to attract customers. As a result, a certain amount of competition can encourage people to work harder and become more successful.

On the other hand, too much competition can have negative effects. People may become stressed if they always feel that they have to be better than others. For instance, students who are mainly focused on getting higher marks may stop helping their classmates because they see them as competitors. Similarly, employees may be less willing to share information with their colleagues if they are competing for promotions. Cooperation, however, allows people to share their knowledge and skills. When people work together, they can support each other and often find better solutions to difficult problems.

In my view, competition is useful because it gives people motivation and encourages them to improve. However, cooperation is more important when people have to achieve a common goal. Schools and workplaces should therefore encourage healthy competition but also teach people how to work effectively as a team.

In conclusion, competition can help individuals become more hardworking and successful, while cooperation can improve teamwork and relationships. I believe that both are necessary, but cooperation should be given greater importance when people are working towards the same objective.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt. You have clearly discussed both the benefits of competition and the value of cooperation, while maintaining a consistent personal position throughout the essay. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the examples regarding academic performance and workplace dynamics. The conclusion effectively synthesises your arguments and reinforces your stance. To reach a higher band, you could further extend the analysis by exploring the nuance of 'healthy competition' versus 'toxic competition' in more depth, but the current level of development is already strong and fully satisfies the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the transition between the benefits of competition and the drawbacks is smooth, using appropriate cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. The use of referencing is clear, and the paragraphing is logical. The flow of information is natural, and the relationship between sentences is easy to follow. The essay demonstrates a high level of coherence, making it very easy for the reader to navigate your arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas with precision. Phrases like 'common part of modern life', 'improve their performance', and 'achieve a common goal' are used accurately. While the vocabulary is functional and appropriate for the task, it is largely standard. To achieve a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated or less common lexical items to demonstrate greater flexibility. For instance, instead of 'useful', you might use 'advantageous' or 'instrumental'. Overall, the vocabulary is accurate and allows for clear communication throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay demonstrates a good control of grammatical structures. You have successfully used a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as 'When people work together, they can support each other and often find better solutions to difficult problems.' The punctuation is accurate, and there are very few grammatical errors. The sentences are generally error-free, showing a high level of control. To reach the highest band, ensure you continue to experiment with a wider variety of complex structures, such as inversion or more advanced conditional forms, to further showcase your grammatical flexibility.

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