Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-20

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)

People have different views regarding people competing at their workplace. Some argue that people should help each other out, whereas others have a different viewpoint.

Nowadays, people are in competition with each other for higher posts. They are eager to have the spotlight in their workplace, grabbing everyone's attention. The more the employee contributes in major projects, the more chances he has to be promoted to a higher position. Similar trend is followed in school life as well, students are always willing to overtake the other student in terms of grades. However, this growing demand can lead to conflicts, which can have harmful effects on the environment. Individuals also try to degrade the reputation of their competitor just to be ahead of him, which does creates toxicity in the environment.

In addition, some citizen also believe that there should be a friendly relation among the workers. This creates a peaceful environment, with everyone being united and working as a team. There will be no conflicts, no misunderstandings and creating a greater sense of harmony and cooperation. This is what I strongly believe as well, people should have pure intentions and have faith in their luck. People who work hard, and are kind towards their colleagues will never face any challenges. For example, once my father used to work as an administration manager. The staff there got furious when they got to know that his wish is to be the vice president. Because of this sense of insecurity, the staff made some cruel plans which destroyed the relationships among all the staff members and some were forced to resign.

In conclusion, although both views have merit, believe that being cooperative and helping your colleagues is a better option as it provides you with many benefits without degrading their name.

AI examiner evaluation

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 uneven. While the negative aspects of competition are discussed, the explanation of why cooperation is superior relies heavily on a single personal anecdote rather than a broader analysis of societal or professional benefits. The conclusion is clear, but the overall depth of the argument could be improved by exploring the nuances of how competition can sometimes drive innovation, rather than just focusing on its toxic elements. The response meets the requirements of the prompt but remains somewhat superficial in its analysis.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In addition', 'However', and 'For example', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally easy to follow, although the link between the general discussion of competition and the specific anecdote about the father could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different viewpoints, which helps the reader navigate the argument effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'toxicity' and 'insecurity', which are used appropriately. However, there are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'have faith in their luck' and 'cruel plans'. The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but more precise academic collocations would elevate the score. Spelling is generally accurate throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is consistently clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'which does creates' (subject-verb agreement) and 'some citizen also believe' (pluralization). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and tense issues, such as 'once my father used to work' (which is slightly redundant). Despite these errors, the grammatical control is sufficient to ensure that the reader is never confused, and the errors do not impede communication.

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

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