Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-01

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 6.5)

There is considerable debate over whether work, academic and daily life competitions is beneficial or group work is more useful. Although, competitions allow people to progress in all aspects of life, team work is more advantageous because it enables people to learn crucial skills.

On the one hand, involving in competitions gives individuals an opportunity to progress. When people are involved in different competitions, they push themselves beyond their limits and learn different skills to win a competition. For instance, employees competing for higher positions are more likely to learn new skills, which make them eligible for the position. As a result, people stay motivated about gaining more knowledge and improving their skills, which them help companies to boost their businesses and become more profitable. However, I do not agree with this view because this often leads to stress, anxiety and mentally burnout.

On the other hand, collaboration in any kind of work is more useful because it allows people to learn important skills. By engaging in team work, people improve their commination skills by expressing their ideas in front of their peers. If employees find a problem at workplace, all team members can contribute by sharing different solutions, allowing them to make an informed decision and enhancing their problem-solving skills. Students can easily comprehend complex concepts in group studies. In daily life, individuals can cooperate with one another and clean public places collectively, which them have a positive impact on the environment. I am of this opinion that collective work is more effective than competing against each other.

In conclusion, although competition in various aspects of life is advantageous, I still believe that team work is more beneficial because it gives people a chance to improve interpersonal skills and problem-solving skills.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both competition and cooperation while clearly stating a personal position. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed. For instance, the argument regarding competition leading to stress and burnout provides a good counterpoint to the benefits of motivation. However, some points could be further extended; for example, the mention of cleaning public places is a bit simplistic compared to the professional context discussed earlier. The position is consistent throughout the essay, meeting the requirements for a Band 7 score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'However', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to signal shifts in the argument. While the flow is generally smooth, there are minor issues with referencing, such as 'which them have a positive impact', where the pronoun usage is slightly awkward. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and contributes to a coherent structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey ideas clearly, with some attempts at more sophisticated collocations like 'crucial skills' and 'informed decision'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as 'involving in competitions' (should be 'participating in') and 'mentally burnout' (should be 'mental burnout'). These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. The range is adequate for the task, but more precise academic vocabulary would enhance the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are recurring grammatical errors, particularly with verb forms and pronoun placement, such as 'which them help companies' and 'which them have a positive impact'. These errors are noticeable but do not cause significant difficulty for the reader. The control of punctuation is generally good, and the meaning remains clear throughout. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of relative clauses.

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