Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-17

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)

It is often argued that while some individuals believe that competing at work, at educational institutions and in everyday life is a great practice, others claim that efforts should be made to increase cooperation, instead of indulging in a competition with each other. Although both views have valid arguments, I firmly believe that competition is a really healthy thing as it motivates people to push their limits by working on their own, and step out of their comfort zones so that they can achieve their goals.

A few individuals consider competing with the peers at school, employees at workplace, and as well as in daily life, quite significant for bringing changes in one's mindset and broadening one's vision by poking an individual to complete their tasks on time and making them understand the intensity of the consequences that have to be faced in case of failure. For instance, it is also claimed that performances are much better under pressure than those without it because people tend to work in different ways while competing, and opt distinct strategies that help them earn success. This claim further clarifies the position of competitions by highlighting its merits in terms of astounding attempts by competitors to win.

Conversely, the remaining people regard cooperation as a better way to complete tasks as this group of individuals believe that working as a team can lead to the birth of new and innovative ideas that can't come to the mind of an individual involved in competing with others. Along with this, they also think that working together reduces the difficulty of an assignment as the work load can be divided amongst the members, so that everyone have equal amount of work to cover and nobody gets over-burdened.

In conclusion, I agree with the side in favor of competitions as my personal thoughts align with this view. Although working together makes a task easier to achieve, it does not contribute even a little in self development and performing under pressure.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both competition and cooperation before clearly stating a personal position. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed. However, the development of the 'cooperation' argument is slightly less nuanced than the 'competition' argument. The essay maintains a clear position throughout, which is a strength. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more specific, concrete examples rather than relying on general statements about 'workplace' or 'school' settings. The conclusion effectively summarizes the stance, though it could be more expansive in linking back to the main body points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two opposing views. Cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'Conversely', and 'For instance' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the phrase 'This claim further clarifies the position of competitions' is a bit wordy and slightly redundant. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the essay is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'broadening one's vision', 'step out of their comfort zones', and 'innovative ideas' are used effectively. There are some minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'poking an individual' (which sounds unnatural; 'pushing' or 'motivating' would be better) and 'opt distinct strategies' (should be 'adopt'). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, it lacks the sophisticated, idiomatic control required for higher bands. The range is sufficient for flexibility, but precision is occasionally lacking.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over complex sentences, such as the opening sentence and the concluding remarks. However, there are some grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('everyone have equal amount' should be 'everyone has an equal amount') and minor punctuation or phrasing awkwardness ('and as well as in daily life'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The student shows a good grasp of grammar, but more attention to detail in subject-verb agreement and article usage is needed.

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

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