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)
In both personal and professional life, 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 compete against each other. In my opinion, cooperating with others is the best thing to do because it has a beneficial effect on our lives.
Cooperating with others in school or in daily life is the shortest way to improve different aspects such as education, personality, relationships, and sinicial situation, of our lives. By helping each other in various circumstances and challenging problems, it leads to achieving relaxation and happiness in our mental health. For example, working together without any negative competition between students or workers generates strong relationships with their family and friends.
On the other hand, some people think that competition at work, at school, and in daily life is a good thing. So, when learners in school compete with others, it encourages them to enhance their academic results. In addition, competing with people can develop our personality, and that leads to discovering our weaknesses. For instance, competition between employees in a company or workplace improves the job performance of workers.
In conclusion, competition has many bad effects on people. For example, losing competition leads to bad feelings, like anger in our hearts. As a consequence, cooperating with other people is the best thing to do because it is really helpful and enjoyable.
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 response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the essay falls short of the 250-word minimum requirement, which limits the depth of development. While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat superficial; for instance, the argument regarding competition is quite brief and lacks detailed examples. The conclusion introduces a new point about the negative emotional impact of losing, which is a good idea but should have been integrated into the body paragraphs to support the main argument more effectively. To improve, ensure each point is fully extended with specific, illustrative examples.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the other hand' and 'In addition,' though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate for the task, and the overall structure helps the reader follow the argument, despite the brevity of the content.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are some awkward word choices, such as 'sinicial situation' (likely a typo for 'financial') and 'achieving relaxation,' which sounds unnatural in this context. The student relies on basic vocabulary like 'good thing' and 'best thing to do' repeatedly. To achieve a higher score, the student should aim for more precise, academic collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'losing competition leads to bad feelings' (should be 'losing a competition') and 'competing with people can develop our personality' (should be 'personalities'). Punctuation is generally correct, but the sentence variety is limited. The errors do not significantly impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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