Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-28

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)

I am explaining about some people that thougth competition at work at school and in daily life is a good thing while other believes that we should try to cooperate more rather than competing against each other.

one one hand, Nowadays every individual trying to show their skills in every field of life. whether its school or work place. competition could lead to both factors, Advantages that are related to healthy competition. in addition Positive attribution towards work or study leads toward success. Healthy competition also build confidence and self esteem and encourage for hard work.For instance if i am talking about cricket teams. when two different teams compete with each other & one got succeeded. This could not lead to jealousy. This will have positive impact.

one other hand rather than competing we should cooperate with each other. Because some times it could lead to jealousy. when person thought they are in competition they feel stressel or quit if they lose. for example competition in restaurants could lead their sales slow. because rather than supporting their taste build restaurants near them just to provide harm. I will elaborate with another example competition in school will lead some students in stress. someone commit suicide if their performance was not up to the mark.

In my opinion both factors have its own advantages & disadvantages. But a healthy competition could make life more enjoyfull.

overall compelling someone in

Positive way is beneficial. It

should be balanced rather

than the benefit to harm

someone.

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 limited. The arguments regarding competition and cooperation are somewhat superficial and rely on anecdotal examples, such as the cricket team or restaurant competition, which are not fully explored. The conclusion is brief and lacks depth. To improve, you should aim to expand on your points with more detailed reasoning and clearer explanations of how these concepts apply to the broader contexts of work and education mentioned in the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as 'one one hand' and 'one other hand'. Some sentences are disjointed, and the transition between ideas is sometimes abrupt. The paragraphing is present, but the logical progression of ideas within the paragraphs is weak. Improving your use of linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally into the next will significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

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 word choices, such as 'provide harm' instead of 'cause harm' or 'compelling someone' instead of 'encouraging someone'. Spelling errors, such as 'thougth', 'stressel', and 'enjoyfull', are present. To achieve a higher score, you should focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring correct spelling and collocations. Expanding your range of synonyms will also help you avoid repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'other believes'), incorrect verb tenses, and missing articles. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some sentences ending abruptly or lacking necessary commas. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors interfere with the flow of the text. Focusing on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and proofreading for common grammatical slips will help improve your accuracy.

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

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