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)
It is widely argued that, there should be a contest among the individuals at the workplaces, institutes and in the normal routine of the life. While others concede that helping everyone is more beneficial approach. I totally agree with work together approach.
On the one hand, advocates of the challenge tends to believe that, its better to have competition between people at organizations and schools. In addition, it enhances their minds and enable their minds to think out of box in the critical situations rather than depending on others. For instance, competition between the students make them more independent and also sharpen their critical thinking and problem solving skills. Moreover, it also make the room for the individuals to grow and encourages them to work even more hard for their better future.
On the other hand, supporters of the team up, tends to believe that, every individual doesn't have same the capabilities and strength to work against each other in contest form. For example, some students are not good in the mathematics but extraordinary in other subjects, so they didn't perform well in the competition phase. Additionally, everyone have their strengths and weakness, so its better to work together rather than try to competing with everyone. Furthermore, helping others in their difficult time plays a vital role in the development of the better society.
In conclusion, according to point of view, helping everyone was good, as it also make the work productive in positive way, also broadens the horizon of individuals rather than just trying to compete.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The essay addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that competition enhances critical thinking, the explanation is brief. Similarly, the argument for cooperation is supported by a relevant example regarding academic strengths, but the conclusion is quite abrupt and lacks a summary of the main points. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph provides a more thorough exploration of the 'why' and 'how' behind your arguments, rather than just stating the benefits.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'Additionally' to link your points. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'supporters of the team up'). The conclusion is also quite weak and does not effectively synthesize the arguments presented in the body paragraphs. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring a more robust concluding summary would enhance the flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on somewhat repetitive phrasing, such as 'work together' and 'competition.' There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'make the room for the individuals' and 'contest form.' To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to the topic, such as 'collaborative environments,' 'individualistic pursuits,' or 'synergy.' Focus on using words in their correct context to avoid unnatural phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the essay contains frequent grammatical errors. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'advocates... tends to believe'), article usage (e.g., 'in the normal routine of the life'), and awkward phrasing (e.g., 'they didn't perform well in the competition phase'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader. You should focus on proofreading for basic errors like pluralization and verb tense consistency to improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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