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)

There is global debate that competition at work, at school and in daily life is a good thing or cooperating more, is more beneficial for the community.

My opinion is competition helps a person to do his task more refined, professional. Moreover, competition is necessary to approach to better work done. For example, a student having not good scores at exams, if he decides to compete with his friend who is gaining impressive grades, this probably be possible that he will definitely gain higher grades in his next examination.

While cooperating more, can also be be considered more healthier option for the community, as it allows people to talk to each other in a much relaxed way, which may have a positive impact on the environment of schools, work and offices

I generally go with the competition statement rather than cooperative one, because I believe that it allows your brain to work in it's best potential.

Me at my schooling phase, I face very difficulty in having even passing grades, once my friend bullied be because of my lower grades, that time I decided to take higher grades than him.

That competition to achieve higher grades than him works as a petroleum on fire, I worked day and night and when the day of result comes I scored 5% extra than him, I felt really proud of myself as my hard work pays off.

This is a little incident happened with me which I shared above.

After all that both situations are beneficial depending on the person.

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 limited. The discussion on cooperation is brief and lacks the depth seen in the competition section. The personal example provided is relevant but occupies a significant portion of the essay, which detracts from a more balanced academic discussion of the broader societal implications. To improve, you should aim to expand on the benefits of cooperation with more general examples or logical reasoning, ensuring that the essay maintains a formal tone throughout rather than relying heavily on personal anecdotes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical flow between them is somewhat disjointed. While you use some transition words like 'Moreover' and 'While', the connection between the introduction, the body paragraphs, and the conclusion is weak. The paragraphing is inconsistent, with some very short paragraphs that disrupt the flow of the argument. To improve, ensure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that you use a wider variety of cohesive devices to link your ideas more fluidly, creating a more cohesive structure that guides the reader through your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'do his task more refined' and 'more healthier option'. Additionally, the use of the idiom 'petroleum on fire' is incorrect and unnatural in this context. To improve, focus on learning collocations and more sophisticated academic vocabulary. Avoid translating directly from your native language, as this often leads to unnatural expressions. Expanding your range of synonyms and using them in the correct context will significantly enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'competition... are a good thing'), incorrect article usage, and awkward sentence construction (e.g., 'if he decides to compete... this probably be possible'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence structures before attempting more complex ones. Proofreading your work for common errors like verb tense consistency and article placement will help you achieve a higher level of accuracy.

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

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