Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-29

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 7.5)

Whether competition or cooperation is more beneficial in modern life is a topic that divides many people. While competition can drive individuals to achieve greater results, I believe that cooperation is ultimately more valuable, as it leads to better outcomes for both individuals and society as a whole.

On one hand, competition undoubtedly motivates people to work harder and perform at their best. In the workplace, for example, employees who compete for promotions are likely to put in greater effort, which benefits the company as a whole. Similarly, students who compete for top grades are encouraged to study more diligently, ultimately improving their academic performance. Without competition, many people would lack the drive to push beyond their comfort zone and reach their full potential.

On the other hand, excessive competition can create unnecessary stress and damage relationships between people. When individuals focus solely on defeating others, they become less willing to share knowledge or support their colleagues. In contrast, cooperative environments encourage people to combine their strengths, share ideas, and solve problems more effectively. Research consistently shows that teams which work collaboratively tend to produce more creative and successful results than those in which members compete against one another.

In my opinion, while a healthy level of competition can be motivating, cooperation should be prioritised in most areas of life. In an increasingly complex world, the greatest challenges — such as climate change and public health crises — can only be solved through collective effort rather than individual rivalry.

In conclusion, although competition has its merits, the benefits of cooperation are far greater. A society that values working together will always achieve more than one driven purely by competition.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt. You have clearly discussed both the benefits of competition and the advantages of cooperation, while maintaining a consistent personal position throughout the essay. The ideas are well-developed, particularly in the body paragraphs where you provide logical reasoning for both sides. The conclusion effectively synthesizes your argument, reinforcing your stance that cooperation is superior in addressing global challenges. The response is balanced and demonstrates a clear understanding of the task requirements, providing relevant examples such as workplace promotions and global crises to support your points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the two viewpoints is smooth, using effective cohesive devices such as 'On one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In contrast.' The use of referencing is precise, and the paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of your argument. The flow of information is natural, and the relationship between sentences is clear, which makes the essay easy to follow and read.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. You use academic collocations such as 'reach their full potential,' 'excessive competition,' and 'collective effort' effectively. While the vocabulary is accurate and appropriate for the context, it stays within a relatively standard range. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated or idiomatic expressions to add nuance to your arguments. However, there are no errors in word choice or spelling that impede communication, and the language used is consistently natural and well-suited to the formal tone of the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a good variety of complex sentence structures, such as the use of conditional clauses and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'While competition can drive individuals...', 'When individuals focus solely on...'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and grammar is strong. There are no significant grammatical slips that distract the reader. The structure is varied, moving between simple, compound, and complex sentences, which keeps the writing engaging and demonstrates a high level of grammatical competence.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.