Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-02

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)

Some people consider competition as a positive aspect in all phases of life whether it is related to career, education or day to day tasks. However, some are of the view that there should be relaxation rather than promoting competition amongst each other. In my opinion, competition should exist but in moderation.

According to people in support of competition, they consider it as a fair system. Moreover, competition pushes people to give their best in order to achieve something. Competition sets standards for any phase of life. For instance, children at the schools compete to secure first position and likewise employees in an office go against each other for promotion. They are ultimately working for better opportunities so the competition not only drives their capacity to perform better but also makes a person hardworking. Subsequently, competition enhances the strategic management of an individual.

On the other hand, people that do not support competition tend to find relaxation and look for opportunities that are easy to achieve without any hassle. Additionally, excessive competition can cause problems like stress and anxiety. For example, parents who pressurize and compare their children owing to competition can cause them stress and worry that could deteriorate their mental health. So, a cooperative approach is expected in order to maintain balance.

It is my contention that competition should exist in all places to promote a fair and square system. Moreover, it should be in moderation so that it does not overstimulate an individual. In a competitive environment, competitors learn to respect each other and learn about strategies as well as ethics. Fair competition gives chance to every deserving individual to move forward in the race of life.

Consequently, competition is an integral part of life to shape individuals for any situation whether at work, school or daily life. Whereas, an easy or cooperative environment might disturb fairness of the system. This is why I support the stance of competition in all fields.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both competition and cooperation before providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, such as the mention of stress in children and the drive for promotion in the workplace. However, the development is slightly uneven; the argument for cooperation is less detailed than the argument for competition. While the position is consistent, the conclusion repeats points already made rather than synthesizing them into a final, nuanced thought. To reach a higher band, ensure that the counter-argument is explored with equal depth and that the conclusion adds value to the discussion rather than just restating the introduction.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'Consequently' are used to link sentences and paragraphs. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. For instance, the frequent use of 'competition' at the start of sentences could be improved by using pronouns or synonyms to enhance flow. The overall structure is sound, and the reader can easily follow the writer's line of reasoning throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task and allows for some precision, such as 'overstimulate', 'deteriorate', and 'strategic management'. There is an attempt to use less common items, though some collocations are slightly awkward, such as 'fair and square system' which is an idiom that doesn't fit the formal academic tone perfectly. There are no significant spelling errors, and the range of vocabulary is adequate to convey the intended meaning clearly. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated academic collocations and avoiding informal idioms in formal writing tasks.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over basic grammar, and errors are infrequent and do not impede communication. Examples of complex structures include 'whether it is related to career, education or day to day tasks' and 'parents who pressurize and compare their children... can cause them stress'. While the grammar is generally accurate, there is a lack of highly sophisticated complex structures that would be expected at a higher band. Punctuation is generally correct, though some sentences could be tightened for better impact.

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.