Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-21

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)

The above sentence tells us about the competition and cooperation of people at work , at school and other entities. Nowadays, many private and government entities are teaching children and people about the competition at works and external societies. These activities are good in few aspects but not in all the conditions where people work or study. There are other category of people who feel that all the people at work and students at school should try to cooperate more with each other than competing against themselves .

These two opinion of people are good and should be taken into consideration. In the current situation where the Artificial Intelligence plays a very important role in competing with people in most of their works . So, I would say that competing at work or in school is not a preferable aspect. Rather than competing if the people cooperate to solve the complex questions which can not be solved by AI.

For example, in a private or government entity all the people must cooperate with each other to resolve the conflicts and problems that occur during the work or in school .

On the other competition is not a evil, But it is a necessary evil . Due to the competition, we can generate new ideas and solutions for the problems that we face today and the problems that we are going to face in future.

These two different opinion of people in the society are good, But not preferable to use in all kind of situation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a personal opinion, meeting the basic requirements of the task. However, the development of ideas is limited. While you mention AI and the need for cooperation, the arguments remain somewhat superficial and lack specific, well-supported examples. The conclusion is brief and does not fully synthesize the points made. To improve, ensure that each body paragraph contains a clear topic sentence followed by detailed explanation and a concrete example that directly supports your position. The current structure feels a bit repetitive, and the depth of analysis is insufficient for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the transition 'On the other competition is not a evil' is grammatically awkward and lacks a proper linking phrase. The progression of ideas between paragraphs is sometimes abrupt, making the flow feel disjointed. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'in contrast') to connect your sentences and paragraphs more naturally. Ensure that each paragraph has a clear central theme that transitions logically to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'people', 'work', and 'school'. Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'not a preferable aspect' or 'not a evil'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to the topic, such as 'collaborative environments', 'individualistic pursuits', or 'synergy'. Focus on using collocations correctly and avoiding overly simplistic phrasing. Expanding your range of synonyms will help you express your ideas with more nuance and clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede readability. Issues include missing articles (e.g., 'in current situation'), incorrect preposition usage, and subject-verb agreement errors (e.g., 'These two opinion'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before commas. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading your work to catch basic grammatical slips and practice using more complex sentence structures, such as conditional sentences or relative clauses, with greater accuracy.

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

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