Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-30

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 5.0)

Competition at work, school and in daily life can enhance someone's capabilities. Some people love to stay in competition and they can perform well when they are in with competition with someone. Sometimes they stretch their capacity just to win and this thing bring them a benefit. For example students at school chasing class positions and they chase the title of 1st , 2nd, 3rd positions. Few students who wants to get higher marks compete their competitor wants to take 1st prize or 1st position title.

I can understand the perspective of other people who think competing against each other filled people's heart with rage to beat each other. So the compassion towards each other make people's heart soft for each other.

I believe excess of anything is bad. So competition should not exceed the limit so one started hating on each other. On the other hand compassion between people is a necessary thing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 154 words. This significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the essay attempts to address both sides of the argument and provides a personal opinion, the discussion is superficial and lacks the necessary depth and supporting examples required for an Academic Task 2 response. The arguments are underdeveloped, and the essay ends abruptly without a proper conclusion. To improve, you must expand on your points with detailed explanations and concrete examples to meet the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organized into three short paragraphs, which is a basic structure. However, the progression of ideas is limited due to the brevity of the text. Cohesive devices are used sparingly and sometimes awkwardly, such as the repetitive use of 'each other' and 'some people'. The transition between the discussion of competition and the transition to the author's opinion is abrupt. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'furthermore', 'conversely', 'consequently') to connect your ideas more fluidly and create a more logical flow between paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'stay in competition', 'chasing class positions', and 'filled people's heart with rage' are somewhat unnatural or imprecise. There is a lack of academic vocabulary that would be expected at a higher band level. You rely on simple, everyday language to express complex ideas. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition and demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the English language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains several grammatical errors that affect clarity. Examples include 'this thing bring them a benefit' (subject-verb agreement), 'students who wants' (subject-verb agreement), and 'one started hating' (tense inconsistency). The sentence structures are mostly simple or contain errors when attempting more complex constructions. There is a lack of variety in sentence types. To improve, focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and practice using a wider range of complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and conditional sentences, while ensuring they are grammatically accurate.

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

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