Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
A few individuals have a perspective that everyone should compete at school, college, universities, offices and in daily life but the opposition thought that everyone should be kind and cooperative rather than competing each other. This can have positive as well as negative impacts on the society. In this essay we will discuss both these perspectives.
Some people thought that competition is very important because of multiple reasons. The most common reason is that having a competitor in daily life or work is essential because it will keep us alert and active. When we have a thought in mind that we have a competitor, then we do our work more intentionally and with more focus. The other reason is that when we have a competitor, then we recognize our mistakes learn from them. This habit will increase our devotion with our work. For example, if a cricketer or footballer accidentally made any mistake against opposition in the field, then he did not panic and learn from its mistake.
There are also some people that have a mature attitude of helping each other. Cooperating each other is also an example of serving mankind and humanity. When we help each other without any greed, this will give us mental peace and happiness. When an individual start competition in every small work, he will be stressed and depressed because everyone is not perfect in everything. When competition becomes normal in society, some people become envious and they start hating other's happiness. This jealousy behaviour also increase the ratio of crimes in the society. For example, one bad sheep in our society tried to murder his own cousin because he has more strong and intelligent personality than him.
in my opinion, people should not compete in every small work because it will rise some bad habits among the society. Everyone should be lovely and king and should help each other in the hour of need. This positive behaviour has good impact on the children which are the future of society and a peaceful society will come in view.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding competition is supported by a brief example of a sportsman, but it lacks depth. Similarly, the argument against competition relies on a rather extreme example of murder, which feels disproportionate to the topic. While the task is fully addressed, the supporting points could be more nuanced and logically extended to reach a higher band. The position is consistent throughout the essay, which is a strength.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'The most common reason', 'The other reason', and 'In my opinion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel mechanical or repetitive, and there are instances where the flow between sentences is slightly disjointed. For example, the transition between the benefits of competition and the drawbacks of competition could be smoother. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is generally clear, though not always sophisticated.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. There are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'jealousy behaviour', 'rise some bad habits', and 'lovely and king' (likely a typo for 'kind'). While the meaning is clear, the range is limited, and the student relies on basic descriptors. To improve, the student should focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology related to social dynamics and professional environments.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('one bad sheep... tried to murder', 'this jealousy behaviour also increase'), incorrect preposition usage ('competing each other' instead of 'competing with each other'), and tense inconsistencies. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they demonstrate a lack of control over complex structures, which limits the score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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