Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-03
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)
Some people think that competition is very good thing in order to stay motivated. While other think that we should try to work hard, rather than competing against each other. It is a common question that which statement is more appropriate.
From my prospective, competition at work or school is a great thing that we can do to enhance our working. By competing with anybody, you remain motivated for a long time. In this way, you can easily focus on your study or work. If you want to do anything perfectly, competition is important. In addition, when you watch your opponent struggle. You become more energetic to compete your fellow and try to work a little more than your competitor.
Secondly, competition also make your work more interesting. If you feel bored after too much work, then you must make it a challenge. You can also challenge anyone to create interest in it. No matter you will succeed or not. By chance if you fail to compete other, this will also give a lesson. And you identify your weak points by this way. You got a lot of thing from the other competitor. For instance, you can learn new techniques or methods to solve the problem. And how did other person solve it.
In conclusion, i think it is a great thing to do competition but the competition should be for positive reasons, not for judging other or make fun. If you do challenge for show off your abilities, it can lead to fighting.
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, though the discussion of cooperation is significantly underdeveloped compared to the support for competition. The prompt asks to discuss both views, but the second view is only mentioned in the introduction and not explored in the body paragraphs. The position is clear, but the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive, focusing primarily on personal motivation. To reach a higher band, you must provide a balanced discussion by dedicating at least one full paragraph to the benefits of cooperation, as requested by the prompt.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'In addition', 'Secondly', 'In conclusion'). Some transitions between sentences are abrupt, such as the fragment 'When you watch your opponent struggle. You become more energetic...' which disrupts the flow. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the logical progression within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly rather than relying on simple list-like structures.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There is a reliance on basic terms like 'good thing' and 'work', which are repeated frequently. Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'enhance our working' or 'compete your fellow'. While the meaning is generally clear, there is little evidence of less common lexical items or idiomatic collocations. To improve, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and varying your word choice to avoid repetition.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. For example, there are sentence fragments ('When you watch your opponent struggle.') and issues with subject-verb agreement ('competition also make your work'). Articles are occasionally missing or misused, and there are errors with prepositions and verb forms (e.g., 'compete other' instead of 'compete with others'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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