Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-08

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)

Competition in study and also in almost every field of life comes very crucial. Every one is trying to go after from each others. Even in Business and Politics, there is very tough competition. Every body Working hard just for the sake of win.

In the results of the competition, students failed to understand the actual concepts of the study specially science subjects. They used cramming methods just for the sake of 1st position. Competition of many other things occur in our daily life. As we give examples of other children to our own child. For example your friend's mind is so sharp, he is very active, takes part in extra curricular activities etc. But you are not intelligent like him. In the result of this, we the confidence level of the children. As in the schools teachers talk more about competition in front of their students. They said that you all have very tough competition in the exams . This can make students more burdenize. They do not understand the concepts of the study. They just do cramming just for winning the competition.

In my point of view, Although competition is a good thing. But there are also some disadvantage of it. We should make our students more cooperative than competitives. Let them understand the basic concepts of the study and then write with their own words. Students should be cooperate with their class fellow. If we ask them there is very tough competition, they will never help each other. Everyone try to beat the other. So that we should more focus on cooperative with each other.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument, but the development is somewhat limited. While you identify the negative impacts of competition, such as the pressure on students and the reliance on rote learning, the discussion of the benefits of competition is underdeveloped. The prompt asks to discuss both views, but the positive aspects are mentioned only briefly in the introduction and conclusion. To improve, ensure that both perspectives receive balanced, detailed support with clear examples. Your position is clear, but the overall argument would benefit from more depth and a more structured exploration of why cooperation might be superior in specific contexts.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into three paragraphs, which is a logical structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or missing. For instance, transitions between sentences are sometimes abrupt, such as the jump from discussing business to the impact on children. The use of referencing is occasionally unclear, and some sentences lack logical flow. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'in contrast') to connect your ideas more fluidly and ensure that each paragraph has a clear central theme that progresses logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher score. There are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice, such as 'go after from each others' and 'burdenize', which is not a standard English word. You rely on basic vocabulary, and some collocations are unnatural. To improve, try to incorporate more academic vocabulary related to education and social dynamics, and pay closer attention to word forms and standard collocations to ensure your meaning is conveyed clearly and professionally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'Competition... come very crucial'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward sentence construction. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with sentence fragments. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents a higher score. Focus on mastering subject-verb agreement, correct tense usage, and ensuring that every sentence has a clear subject and verb to improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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