Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

It is often argued that competition at work, at school and in everyday life is beneficial, while others believe that people should cooperate with each other instead of competing. Both perspectives have their own advantages. This essay will explain how competition encourages individuals to perform better, how cooperation promotes teamwork, and why I believe cooperation is more beneficial.

On the one hand, competition can motivate individuals to improve their performance. When people compete with others, they often make greater efforts to achieve their goals and develop their abilities. For example, students competing for the highest marks may study harder and pay greater attention in class. Therefore, healthy competition can encourage people to become more ambitious and successful.

On the other hand, cooperation helps people work together and achieve common goals. By cooperating, individuals can share their knowledge, skills and responsibilities, which can make difficult tasks easier to complete. For instance, employees working together on a project can divide different tasks according to their strengths and finish the work efficiently. Consequently, cooperation can improve teamwork and create a supportive environment.

In my opinion, cooperation is more important than competition because long-term success often requires people to support one another. Constant competition may create unnecessary pressure, whereas teamwork allows individuals to learn from each other and build stronger relationships. For example, healthcare professionals need to cooperate with their colleagues to provide effective care to patients. Thus, I believe that encouraging cooperation can bring greater benefits to both individuals and society.

In conclusion, while competition can motivate people to perform better, cooperation develops teamwork and helps people accomplish shared objectives. Overall, I believe cooperation should be encouraged more because it leads to more sustainable and collective success.1l

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both competition and cooperation before clearly stating a personal position. The ideas are relevant and well-supported with examples, such as the comparison between students competing for marks and healthcare professionals working in teams. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively synthesizes the main points. To reach a higher band, the development of the arguments could be slightly more nuanced, perhaps by exploring the specific contexts where competition might be more effective than cooperation, rather than just focusing on the benefits of the latter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, and the progression of ideas is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Consequently', and 'Thus' are used effectively to link ideas. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is easy to follow. There is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive use of linking words, and the referencing is clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient and appropriate for the task. The student uses a range of topic-specific terms such as 'ambitious', 'supportive environment', 'sustainable', and 'collective success'. While the vocabulary is accurate and conveys the intended meaning clearly, it lacks some of the more sophisticated or idiomatic collocations that would characterize a band 8 or 9 response. However, there are no errors in word choice or spelling that impede communication, and the range is flexible enough to discuss the topic with precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a good command of grammatical structures. There is a mix of simple and complex sentences, such as 'When people compete with others, they often make greater efforts to achieve their goals and develop their abilities.' The punctuation is accurate, and the sentence construction is generally error-free. The majority of sentences are grammatically sound, and the few minor slips do not interfere with the clarity of the message. The control over complex structures is consistent, supporting a high band score.

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

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