Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

It is frequently debated whether individuals benefit more from a competitive mindset or a collaborative approach in academic, professional, and personal spheres. While cooperation plays a vital role in building harmonious communities and achieving shared objectives, I firmly believe that healthy competition is the primary catalyst for personal growth, innovation, and high achievement.

On the one hand, proponents of cooperation argue that working together fosters a supportive environment essential for collective success. In modern workplaces and educational institutions, complex challenges rarely require a single genius; instead, they demand interdisciplinary teamwork and effective communication. Collaborative settings encourage empathy, reduce personal anxiety, and ensure that skills are pooled to solve multi-faceted problems. For example, scientific breakthroughs or large-scale corporate ventures are almost always the result of team effort rather than isolated rivalry. Therefore, prioritizing mutual support over individual dominance helps maintain social cohesion and yields stable, long-term outputs.

On the other hand, competition acts as an indispensable driver of individual excellence and self-improvement. When individuals compete, they are pushed beyond their comfort zones to refine their capabilities and maximize their potential. Without the incentive to outperform others or surpass past benchmarks, societies risk stagnation, as people may lack the motivation to strive for exceptional results. For instance, in top-tier academia or corporate leadership, limited prestigious positions naturally necessitate a competitive selection process, ensuring that only the most dedicated and talented candidates rise to the top. When conducted in a healthy manner, competing does not undermine others; rather, it sets higher standards for everyone involved.

In conclusion, while cooperation is undeniably valuable for team dynamics and social stability, I am convinced that a competitive spirit is far more crucial for driving personal excellence and societal progress. Striking a balance between the two is ideal, but competition remains the true engine of individual development

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the views supporting cooperation and those favoring competition, while clearly presenting the writer's own position from the introduction through to the conclusion. The ideas are well-developed and supported with relevant examples, such as referencing interdisciplinary teamwork in modern workplaces and competitive selection processes in academia. The arguments are logical, extended appropriately, and demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the prompt. The response meets all task requirements with a clear, well-supported stance throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response exhibits a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, starting with a well-formulated introduction, moving smoothly through body paragraphs exploring both sides, and culminating in a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Therefore', and 'For example' are used flexibly and appropriately without being obtrusive. Paragraphing is managed effectively, ensuring that ideas flow naturally from one to the next and guiding the reader effortlessly through the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The candidate demonstrates a wide, fluent, and flexible lexical resource suitable for an academic task. Words and phrases such as 'harmonious communities', 'interdisciplinary teamwork', 'indispensable driver', and 'societal stagnation' are used with precision and natural control. Less common lexical items are handled skilfully with strong awareness of collocation and style (e.g., 'surpass past benchmarks', 'top-tier academia'). There are virtually no lexical errors, and the vocabulary choice contributes significantly to the clarity and persuasive tone of the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response features a wide range of complex structures used with a high degree of flexibility and accuracy. The majority of sentences are error-free, and the writer demonstrates excellent control over subordination, relative clauses, and participial phrases (e.g., 'When conducted in a healthy manner, competing does not undermine others'). Punctuation is accurate, and grammar is handled with subtle control throughout. Only very occasional, non-systematic slips might be conceived, placing the text firmly in the higher band brackets for grammatical precision.

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