Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-13

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 believe that competition at work, at school, and in daily life is beneficial. Others argue that we should try to cooperate more, rather than contend against each other. So in my opinion, competition is a good way to perform well in every situation.

Firstly, the competition is good in our daily life; without this, we cannot succeed in life. Competition at work and at school is performed to be the strongest person in a society. However, it gives me confidence for better communication in front of others; without challenging, we cannot perform well in daily life. For example, when I am preparing for the IELTS exam, I challenge myself to gain good bands to beat others. In addition, nowadays competition is very fast in every situation. By contrast, students should beat other students in a study, and we can also challenge ourselves in daily life to complete this activity in a day.

Secondly, some people believe that we should try to cooperate more rather than competing against each other. If we should do nothing, then one against you and beat you in every situation. Sometimes, if we focus only on beating others, we ignore teamwork and become stressed. It is healthier to relax and support each other instead. For example, in a workplace, if we spread positivity in the work via the help to others in a project rather than planning to beat others in a project, then other members will be inspiring you.

In the conclusion, both are very essential in different situations, but my opinion is that the competition at work, at school, and in daily life makes the person strong and confident everywhere. Furthermore, in a modern era if we cannot beat others than we cannot succeed in every situation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the view that competition is beneficial and the alternative view favouring cooperation, while also stating a clear personal position. The writer introduces the topic and maintains a consistent stance throughout. However, some ideas lack deep extension and tend to be slightly repetitive. For instance, the discussion on daily life and education relies on general assertions without fully exploring deeper societal implications. The arguments are relevant and cover both sides as required, but the support provided is relatively basic, particularly in the second body paragraph where the mechanics of cooperation are touched upon superficially. Consequently, the ideas are sufficiently addressed to meet the criteria for Band 6.0, as the main parts of the prompt are covered with relevant, albeit somewhat under-developed, ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, dividing the introduction, two body paragraphs, and the conclusion adequately. Transitional markers such as 'Firstly', 'In addition', 'By contrast', and 'Secondly' are employed to guide the reader through the structure. However, referencing and logical progression are occasionally faulty, leading to mechanical transitions. For example, sentences like 'If we should do nothing, then one against you and beat you in every situation' lack clear cohesive links and obscure the intended meaning. Paragraphing is present, but the internal flow within paragraphs suffers from abrupt shifts in ideas. While the overall structure provides a readable sequence, the mechanical use of cohesive devices and occasional referencing confusions place this response firmly at Band 5.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'beneficial', 'positivity', and 'cooperate'. However, there are frequent inappropriate word choices and collocations that reveal limitations in lexical control. Examples include 'contend against each other', 'the competition is very fast', 'students should beat other students in a study', and 'other members will be inspiring you' instead of 'inspired'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but vocabulary limitations and awkward phrasing sometimes restrict precision. Because the range is adequate for communication despite noticeable inaccuracies in word formation and collocation, the lexical resource corresponds to a Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing conditional structures and relative clauses such as 'If we focus only on beating others, we ignore teamwork and become stressed.' Nevertheless, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the response, including articles missing or misused ('in a study', 'in the work'), tense confusion ('if we cannot beat others than we cannot succeed'), and non-standard prepositions. Although these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur with enough frequency to disrupt the flow and demonstrate limited control over complex syntactic structures. The control of grammar aligns most closely with Band 5.0.

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