Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-14

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)

It is undeniable that competition and cooperation are two fundamental aspects os human interactions, while some people support competing in all aspects of the life, other prefer to work together. In my opinion, while competition can drive individual achievements, cooperation is more beneficial for growth.

To commence with, those firstly, who advocate for competition asserts that it is a powerful motivator that pushes individuals to excel.In educational settings, it can encourage students to achieve higher academic standards. Secondly, students who strive to be at the top of their class, for instance, may put in more effort and perform better on exams. Similarly, at work, competition can lead to increased productivity and innovation. Employees competing for promotions or bonuses are likely to be driven to develop creative solutions to problems.

Furthermore, the environments which stimulate working together are more supportive. At schools, coperative learning methods, such a s group projects, can help students develop essential social skills, including communication, empathy and teamwork.These skills are crucial for both academic success and personal development. In the workplace, the cooperative culture can enhance collaboration and lead to more innovative and efficient problem-solving. Teams that work well together can produce better outcomes, as opposed to environments where competition creates pressure and burnout. A cutthroat atmosphere from excessive struggles and rivalries can result in a toxic culture where employees prioritize personal gain over collective achievement, ultimately harming the organization's overall performance.

In conclusion, while competition can drive individual achievement and innovation, I believe that working together is more conducive to long-term success and well-being. Encouraging cooperative behaviors, therefore, can lead to more harmonious and productive environments in schools, workplaces, and communities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the benefits of competition and cooperation, and clearly states their own opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The position is well-maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are extended and supported with relevant examples, such as educational settings and workplaces. For instance, the discussion on how competition drives productivity and how cooperation avoids a toxic culture is well-developed. While there is a slight tendency to over-generalise regarding the negative effects of a cutthroat atmosphere, the overall task response fulfills the requirements of Band 7. All aspects of the prompt are given adequate attention and the arguments flow logically towards a well-reasoned conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, moving smoothly from the introduction to the arguments for competition, the arguments for cooperation, and finally the conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'Secondly', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the text, although some transitional phrases like 'those firstly, who advocate' are slightly awkward. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, separating the distinct viewpoints into clear, manageable blocks. Referencing and substitution are generally clear, contributing to the overall cohesion of the response, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, allowing for some flexibility and precision. Less common lexical items are attempted with some awareness of style and collocation, such as 'fundamental aspects', 'academic standards', and 'collective achievement'. However, there are a few noticeable errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'aspects os human interactions' and 'coperative learning methods'. Additionally, phrasing like 'those firstly, who advocate' is clumsy. Despite these occasional inaccuracies and spelling slips, the vocabulary is adequate to convey the intended meaning clearly without impeding communication, fitting comfortably into Band 6.5, which rounds to 7.0 or sits firmly at 6.0 depending on error density. Here, the range is strong enough for a solid 6.5, placed at 6.0 for minor slips.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to construct subordinate clauses and varied sentence structures, such as 'Employees competing for promotions or bonuses are likely to be driven to develop creative solutions...'. There are, however, some grammatical and punctuation errors present, including a punctuation splice ('excel.In educational settings'), missing articles, and occasional awkward phrasing ('the environments which stimulate working together'). Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, and the majority of simple sentences are accurate, while attempts at complex structures show good control. This performance matches the criteria for Band 6.5, showing a blend of error-free structures and minor mechanical slips.

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