Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-22

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 6.0)

While it is often argued that, competition in daily life such as at work, at school is good, others contend that we ought to try to be more cooperative with each other. From my perspective, I am inclined to agree that, competing with each other brings more success in our lives.

There is an opinion that, while competing, we feel challenges which ultimately yields better results from an individual, and I completely believe that. For instance, in school, when good students in a group show competitiveness, they always try to overcome others by achieving better result. This type of competition helps students to move forward with others in the same curriculum and environment. That is why, players like Messi and Ronaldo always felt pressure when others scored or got awards, which led them to try to be better than before, which eventually made both of them great players. Some individuals also consider that, humans are naturally driven to compare themselves with others. We may lag behind and can not measure success when we work alone. That is why, children learn well in a school rather than in home. The school environment helps a child to learn, to compete. Therefore, it is needed to have a competitive mentality in order to make progress in our lives.

By contrast, those who disagree believe that, cooperation brings more success. Some consider that, it brings more achievements in life when we do a work collaboratively. For instance, research shows that, in a company, employees who work together in a healthy environment, it eventually brings a lot more success than the employees who works in a competitive environment and show selfishness. Each employee has a different skill and if they share their knowledge, it will be beneficial for all. There is another opinion that, life is not a place of competition. We should support others who are lag behind. For example, if a family member is poor and can not provide for his or her family, it is our responsibility to help them instead of ignoring them or moving forward without them.

Summing up, while opinions may vary, I consider that daily competition in every aspect of life brings more success in student life as well as in the workplace.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both competition and cooperation while clearly stating a personal position. The ideas are relevant and generally well-supported with examples, such as the reference to Messi and Ronaldo. However, the development of the cooperative perspective is slightly less nuanced than the competitive one. The conclusion is a bit brief and could have better synthesised the main points to reinforce the argument. Overall, the response meets the requirements for a Band 7, as the position is clear throughout and the main ideas are extended and supported effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'For instance', 'By contrast', and 'Summing up', which help the flow of ideas. However, there is some repetitive use of 'There is an opinion that' and 'Some consider that', which makes the cohesion feel slightly mechanical at times. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the progression of ideas is clear, justifying a Band 6.5, which rounds to a 6.0 or 7.0 depending on the consistency of the flow; here, it leans towards a 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task. The student uses some topic-specific terms like 'competitive mentality', 'collaboratively', and 'curriculum'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'do a work' (should be 'do work' or 'perform tasks') and 'lag behind' used as an adjective (should be 'lagging behind'). While the range is sufficient to convey meaning, it lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands. The errors in word choice do not impede communication, but they are noticeable.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('employees who works') and punctuation errors, particularly the unnecessary use of commas after 'that' ('There is an opinion that, while...'). While these errors are frequent, they rarely impede the reader's understanding. The control of complex structures is inconsistent, and the punctuation needs refinement to reach a higher band. The current level reflects a solid Band 6, where the student demonstrates a mix of structures but lacks the consistent accuracy of higher bands.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.