Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

In today's world, there is a large amount of competition in daily life, from children to adults. Some people argue that competition at work, at school and in daily life is beneficial. While others argue that an individual should try to cooperate more, rather than competing against each other. In my opinion, a sufficient amount of competition is important, while excessive competition can be harmful.

On the one hand, competition at school can be beneficial for the students to keep them motivated. This is because if students do not compete with each other, then they will not encourage themselves to study. For example, if a child is scoring average marks in academics, then they can compete with other students to motivate themselves to study and increase their academic score. Furthermore, competition at work can be beneficial for the employees. If an individual employee competes with others to achieve a higher positions, then it increases the chance of getting successful in life. In addition, competition can play an important role in daily life. For instance, if an individual competes with the high-status families, then they might end up upgrading their lifestyle.

On the other hand, critics argue that cooperating in life is beneficial because competition can sometimes cause depression. If a person is competing in daily life and not able to achieve goals, then they may undergo depression. Too much competition can create stress in everyday life, and can even increase the risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, heart attack, and so on. Additionally, students having competition at a young age can distract their brain. If a student is not able to compete with other students, then it might create anger in an individual mind. This may distract their brain and may give up too early.

To conclude, competition can be helpful and harmful for an individual. A balanced approach works best. With proper precautions and understanding, competition can help to succeed in life, while excessive competition can cause health problems.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt by discussing both the benefits of competition and the merits of cooperation, while clearly stating your own position. Your ideas are relevant, such as the motivation provided by competition in schools and the potential for stress-related health issues. However, some arguments are slightly under-developed; for instance, the point about 'competing with high-status families' is a bit vague and could have been better explained. To reach a higher band, ensure that every example provided is fully linked back to the core argument to demonstrate a more sophisticated level of critical thinking.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'Furthermore,' and 'In addition' to guide the reader through your arguments. While the progression is generally clear, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. For example, the start of your sentences often relies on similar structures. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'this,' 'these') is always precise will help improve the flow and cohesion of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'beneficial,' 'excessive,' 'motivation,' and 'precautions' correctly. However, the vocabulary is somewhat limited and occasionally repetitive. There are some minor issues with collocation, such as 'distract their brain' or 'anger in an individual mind,' which sound slightly unnatural. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid repeating the same words (like 'competition' or 'beneficial') too frequently by using synonyms or paraphrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this level. Most of your sentences are clear, and your meaning is rarely obscured by errors. However, there are some grammatical slips, such as 'While others argue that an individual should try...' (which is a sentence fragment) and 'getting successful in life' (should be 'achieving success'). You also have some minor issues with article usage and pluralization. To achieve a higher band, focus on increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences and refining your control over prepositions and verb forms.

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

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