Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-27

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)

Some people believe that there should be a competition in our routine like in profession, in education or in other aspects of life. Whereas, the others believe that we should work together and grow side-by-side. This essay will cover both views, and I think if we cooperate more rather than competing, we can grow as a nation, not as an individual.

First thing first, let's talk about why competition is beneficial. It have many advantages because when we have a competition with each other, there is a higher chance of hardworking, skill improvement and betterments. This can improve productivity and help people achieve higher goals, but this may lead people to self dissatisfaction and eventually to leg pulling of others. For example, students can compete with their classmates to achieve higher grades only if they are sure that they don't follow the wrong path like giving wrong guidance to others.

Secondly, coorporation allows people to work with each other and enjoy shared benefits. This help people to engage with each other and help them know others problems. Working together makes difficult tasks easier to solve because different people can contribute init with multiple abilities. It also reduce unnecessary conflicts among individuals as all of them knows their boundaries.

In conclusion, competition can motivate people to work harder and enable people to grow. However, I believe that cooperation is more beneficial overall because it promotes teamwork, shared knowledge and better solutions to common problems. It also help us to grow as a nation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that competition leads to 'hardworking' and 'skill improvement', these points are not fully extended with concrete examples or deeper analysis. The example regarding students is a bit vague. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph provides a more detailed explanation of the 'why' and 'how' behind your claims, rather than just listing potential benefits or drawbacks.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'First thing first', 'Secondly', and 'In conclusion' to signal the progression of your argument. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing could be more sophisticated. For instance, the transition between the benefits of competition and its potential downsides within the second paragraph is a bit abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between ideas would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'productivity', 'dissatisfaction', and 'cooperation'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'leg pulling of others' (an informal idiom not suited to an academic essay) and 'contribute init' (a typo). To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoid informal or colloquial expressions. Expanding your range to include more sophisticated synonyms for common words like 'good' or 'help' will also help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several recurring grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('It have many advantages', 'It also help us') and minor punctuation or spelling errors ('coorporation'). These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, pay closer attention to third-person singular verb endings and proofread for basic spelling mistakes. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures, such as using more conditional or relative clauses, would also be beneficial.

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

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