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)

In today's world, there is a great deal of competition in daily life, from childhood to adulthood. Some people argue that competition at work, at school and in daily life is a good thing, while others believe that an individual should 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 because it can motivate students to perform even better. This is because if students do not compete with each other, then they may have less motivation to improve their performance. For example, if a student is achieving average grades, then they may become motivated by seeing other students achieving better grades and improve their academic performance. Furthermore, competition can be important at work to become successful. If an employee competes with their colleagues, then they may improve their skills and performance, and may become successful in the future. Additionally, competition plays an important role in daily life. For instance, if an individual compares their lifestyle with those of their peers they become motivated to work harder, earn more and may improve their standard of living.

On the other hand, critics believe that cooperation allows people to combine their skills and knowledge to achieve common goals. For example, students working together on a project can share skills and knowledge to create a better project. Moreover, excessive competition can be harmful for young age students. If a student is repeatedly failing to compete with other students, they may loss their concentration and confidence.

To conclude, competition can be helpful and harmful. A balanced approach works best. With proper precautions and understanding, competition can help to succeed in life, while excessive competition can negatively affect an individual's mental and physical well-being.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the benefits of competition and the value of cooperation. A clear position is established in the introduction and maintained throughout. The ideas are relevant, particularly the distinction between healthy motivation and the potential for negative psychological impacts. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive; for instance, the points about motivation in school and work are quite similar. To reach a higher band, you could provide more nuanced examples or explore the societal implications of these concepts in greater depth rather than relying on similar arguments across different contexts.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Furthermore', 'Additionally', and 'To conclude' effectively. However, the transitions between sentences are sometimes a bit mechanical, relying heavily on simple 'if-then' structures. To improve, try to vary the way you link ideas and ensure that the flow between sentences feels more natural and less formulaic.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas clearly. Phrases like 'standard of living', 'combine their skills', and 'mental and physical well-being' are used appropriately. However, the vocabulary is somewhat functional and lacks the sophistication or precision required for higher bands. There is also a minor error: 'loss their concentration' should be 'lose their concentration'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common lexical items to demonstrate a wider range of expression.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You show good control over basic grammar, and your meaning is always clear. There are some minor errors, such as 'young age students' (which should be 'young students' or 'students at a young age') and the aforementioned 'loss' instead of 'lose'. While you use complex sentences, they are often repetitive in their structure (e.g., 'If... then...'). To achieve a higher score, aim for a greater variety of complex structures, such as passive voice or conditional variations, and ensure higher accuracy in word forms.

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

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