Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-31
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)
People have different views on whether think they should compete at work, at school or in daily life or they should try to cooperate more rather than competing against each other. I acknowledge people trying to cooperate for not competing can produce beneficial results but i believe a healthy competition at work, school improves confidence and social skills.
On the one hand, proponents of people cooperating rather than competing argue that individual growth is important without comparing the other person success. This is primarily because sometimes seeing other's achievement might affect the moral confidence of a person. The main motive of not competing is to focus on self learning, no comparison between others and distribution of equal respect regardless of the achievements. For example, a team can solve more problems by dividing a task and cooperating rather taking it as a competition and working individually.
On the other hand, those who advocate there should be friendly competition at work or in daily life. This is mainly because a healthy and friendly competition boosts confidence of individuals and gives them an opportunity to display the talent. A healthy competition makes the person push past the limits they have, gives them social skills to work on. For example, in a friendly competition if a proper set of rules are followed along with prizes, a winner can get the prize and other's can take it as a motivation to boost confidence and win the next time.
In conclusion, I acknowledge people trying to cooperate can produce beneficial results because they believe in self learning but i believe a healthy competition at work, school improves confidence and social skills only if proper measurements are taken for the competition.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
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. For instance, the argument for cooperation is supported by a brief example of teamwork, but it lacks depth regarding the broader societal implications. Similarly, the argument for competition mentions 'social skills' and 'confidence' but does not fully explore how these are cultivated in a competitive environment. The ideas are relevant but remain at a somewhat superficial level. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your examples with more specific reasoning or real-world context to fully develop your arguments.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'This is primarily because' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are instances where referencing is a bit unclear, such as 'those who advocate there should be friendly competition', which lacks a clear subject. Overall, the progression of ideas is coherent, and the structure is easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'proponents', 'advocate', and 'individual growth'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are occasional inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'moral confidence' (which is likely meant to be 'self-esteem' or 'morale') and 'proper measurements' (which should be 'proper guidelines' or 'frameworks'). The repetition of basic words like 'competition' and 'cooperate' suggests a need for a wider range of synonyms to improve the sophistication of the writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the other person success' should be 'the other person's success') and subject-verb agreement. Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'those who advocate there should be friendly competition', which is missing a main verb for the subject. Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors, such as the use of lowercase 'i' instead of 'I'. The control of complex structures is inconsistent, which prevents the essay from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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