Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-26

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)

In today's world, competition is usually taken more serious than last few decades. Some believes that it's beneficial but some oppose it strongly. I will provide my opinion and experience on it.

On the one hand, there is the point of view of those people who accept that competition is good so to clear there point I have an example of my own when I was in 10 standard my friend usually gets more marks than me in tests but I always get felt jealous of him which pushed me to study more hard and then I scored more than him in final paper. The thing is that competition is must be present but it should always in the right direction and in boundaries to maintain rules and regulation.

On the other hand, there is group of those people who says that we should prevent the comparative things between us and follow each other to get good output which is also a good thought. The mean of these people is that individual must try to work in unity and walk with the society by having good friends and colleagues. For eg. Student in the school participates in race one of the child who lose the race felt jealous of winner and take the wrong step of hurting him or anything else that can hurt him which makes competition dangerous.

Overall, it can be concluded that the both the group are correct at their place. So, in school it must be tell to students that following the wrong competition can lead worst output but having a good friend and doing competition in good things can enhance their performance.

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 somewhat superficial. For example, the personal anecdote about the 10th-grade exam is relevant but lacks depth, and the second body paragraph relies on a somewhat confusing example about a race. The position is clear, but the arguments could be more thoroughly extended to reach a higher band. The conclusion is a bit simplistic, merely stating that both sides are correct without synthesizing the arguments effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'The thing is that' and 'The mean of these people is that' are informal and do not effectively link ideas. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the final paragraph where 'the both the group' is grammatically awkward and lacks smooth transition. While there is an overall logical progression, the lack of sophisticated linking words limits the flow of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and incorrect word choices, such as 'taken more serious' instead of 'more seriously', 'comparative things' instead of 'competition', and 'worst output' instead of 'negative outcomes'. The student relies on basic vocabulary and struggles with collocations. To improve, the student should focus on using more academic terminology and ensuring that words are used in their correct grammatical context.

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 ('Some believes', 'student... participates'), incorrect verb tenses ('usually gets', 'always get felt'), and missing articles. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with run-on sentences and a lack of commas to separate clauses. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the essay from reaching a higher band score.

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