Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-25

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 6.5)

Healthy competition is beneficial for everyone. Some people believe that competition at school or work in day-to-day life is a good thing, while others argue that we should support and cooperate more rather than compete with each other. This essay will discuss both views before giving my opinion.

On the one hand, competition is very beneficial in the workplace and in academics, but it should be healthy. Healthy competition leads to better performance in the workplace, such as when employees try to learn new skills from other employees, and this leads to better performance in companies. Moreover, competition in schools leads to better academic performance, and students gain motivation from seeing another student working hard to score better grades. However, the competition should be healthy rather than aggressive. Therefore, a good competition can motivate people to improve their performance and achieve better results in both academic and professional environments.

On the other hand, rather than competing with others, supporting and cooperating with other people is a good thing. If competition becomes excessive in the workplace or at school, it can create conflict and an unhealthy environment.

In such circumstances, cooperation can help people solve problems more effectively by sharing their knowledge and skills. For instance, employees who work together can support one another when dealing with a difficult project, while students can cooperate with their classmates to overcome academic challenges. Hence, supporting and cooperating with others leads to a peaceful environment and promotes harmony rather than unhealthy competition.

In conclusion, although competition can motivate people to improve their performance and achieve better results, cooperation is equally important for creating a supportive environment and solving problems effectively. Therefore, I believe that cooperating and supporting each other is a good thing rather than competing against each other.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The essay addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the benefits of competition and the value of cooperation. You clearly state your position in the introduction and maintain it throughout, concluding with a firm preference for cooperation. The ideas are relevant and logically extended, particularly in the body paragraphs where you provide examples like sharing knowledge in the workplace. To reach a higher band, you could further develop your arguments by exploring the nuances of 'healthy' versus 'unhealthy' competition in more depth, perhaps by providing a more specific real-world example or a more complex analysis of how these two concepts might coexist in modern society.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is well-organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the two viewpoints is smooth, using appropriate cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand'. The use of linking words like 'Moreover', 'However', and 'Therefore' helps to guide the reader through your argument. The paragraphing is logical and contributes to the overall clarity of the response. To improve, you could vary your cohesive devices slightly more to avoid a somewhat mechanical feel, ensuring that the flow between sentences feels even more natural and sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'academic performance', 'professional environments', and 'unhealthy environment' are used accurately. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, particularly the frequent use of 'good thing' and 'performance'. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more sophisticated, less common lexical items and collocations. For instance, instead of repeating 'good thing', you could use terms like 'advantageous', 'constructive', or 'conducive to success'. Expanding your range of synonyms will help you express your ideas with more nuance and impact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay displays a good control of grammar with a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most of your sentences are error-free, and your punctuation is generally accurate, which ensures that your meaning is always clear. You use complex structures effectively, such as conditional sentences ('If competition becomes excessive...') and relative clauses. While the grammar is solid, it lacks the variety of more sophisticated, complex structures that would be expected at the highest band levels. Focusing on incorporating a wider variety of advanced grammatical forms, such as inversion or more varied subordinate clauses, would further strengthen your writing.

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

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