Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-04

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)

Of course, many people believe that competition at work, at school and in daily life is a good thing. While, some of them object it and they feel cooperating more rather than competing with others, would create huge impact. Firstly, competing with peers and colleagues in institutes and workplaces respectively, can make the fellow person to a competitive environment. It even helps the person to succeed in mastering many skills, without any restrictions, compared to his or her fellow. Then, trying to cooperate more rather than competing would make the person to master a limit knowledge. This ca make the person to lead a sedentary lifestyle. In my opinion, both the believes have pros and cons. This is because, while, competing with fellow humans can make the person to know his level of knowledge, skills and techniques. It creates a friendly and competitive environment. If it is an friendly environment, it helps in making a huge number of friends compared to enemies. However, if it been in a negative aspect, it ensures a negative environment. This can be because of envy. In such a case, it can make the people to seek revenge not only by succeeding, even by trying to spoil there. While, trying to cooperate more, rather than competing, can make the person to restrict to a confined space. As it helps in making the person to be skilled, it makes the person to lack in exposure to the society. But compared to cooperating more rather than competing against each other has more disadvantages compared to competing with the surrounding.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a personal opinion, meeting the basic requirements of the task. However, the development of ideas is limited and often unclear. For instance, the argument that cooperation leads to 'sedentary lifestyle' or 'lack in exposure' is not logically supported or explained. The position is somewhat inconsistent, as the conclusion seems to contradict the earlier points made about the benefits of competition. To improve, you should focus on developing each main idea with a clear, logical explanation and a relevant example, ensuring your position remains consistent throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow is frequently interrupted by awkward phrasing and unclear transitions. While some cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly' and 'However', they are often applied in a way that makes the relationship between sentences confusing. For example, the transition 'Then, trying to cooperate more...' does not effectively link to the previous point. Additionally, the use of referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the progression of your argument. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each sentence builds logically on the previous one will enhance coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary range is limited and often repetitive. There are several instances of awkward word choices and incorrect collocations, such as 'master a limit knowledge' and 'spoil there'. The phrase 'huge impact' is used without specifying the nature of that impact. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of precision and the reliance on basic vocabulary prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and using more precise academic vocabulary to express your ideas, rather than relying on general terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. There are consistent issues with sentence structure, such as 'If it is an friendly environment' (article error) and 'if it been in a negative aspect' (verb tense error). Many sentences are fragmented or lack proper subject-verb agreement, such as 'both the believes have pros and cons'. While there is an attempt to use complex structures, these are often faulty. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like subject-verb agreement and article usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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