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)

Competition and cooperation are both essential aspects of human interaction. While some people believe that competition at work, school and in daily life motivates individuals to perform better, others argue that cooperation produces greater benefits. In my view, although healthy competition can encourage self-improvement, cooperation is more important for achieving long-term success.

On the one hand, competition can motivate people to work harder and develop their abilities. In schools, for example, students competing for higher grades may become more disciplined and committed to their studies. Similarly, competition between businesses encourages companies to improve their products, reduce prices and introduce innovative services. At an individual level, competition can also build resilience, as people learn to deal with failure and continue working towards their goals. Therefore, when it is fair and constructive, competition can raise standards and encourage personal growth.

On the other hand, excessive competition can create stress and damage relationships. Employees who are constantly trying to outperform their colleagues may be unwilling to share information or provide assistance, which can ultimately reduce productivity. Cooperation, by contrast, allows people to combine their skills and knowledge to achieve a common goal. For instance, complex projects in fields such as medicine and technology often require specialists to work together because no single person possesses all the necessary expertise. As a result, collaborative teams can solve difficult problems more effectively.

In conclusion, competition can promote ambition, resilience and innovation, but excessive rivalry may have negative consequences. I therefore believe that cooperation should be prioritised, while healthy competition should be maintained as a means of encouraging individuals to improve themselves.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the view that competition is beneficial and the view that cooperation is more advantageous, while clearly presenting the writer's own opinion from the introduction to the conclusion. The ideas are well-developed and supported with relevant examples, such as students competing for higher grades, businesses improving products through rivalry, and specialists collaborating on complex projects in medicine and technology. The position is consistently maintained throughout the essay. Because the length requirement of 250 words has been fully met, no penalties are applied, and the response comfortably satisfies the Band 8 descriptor for Task Achievement due to its thorough exploration of both perspectives and well-supported stance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, starting with a balanced introduction, moving to well-structured body paragraphs representing each view, and ending with a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used effectively and naturally, such as 'On the one hand', 'Similarly', 'On the other hand', and 'As a result', which guide the reader smoothly through the arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the contrasting viewpoints. Referencing and substitution are handled securely, ensuring that relationships between ideas are always clear. This performance aligns closely with a Band 8 standard for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The writer demonstrates a wide, fluent, and flexible range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic discussion. Less common lexical items are used skillfully and naturally, including 'self-improvement', 'resilience', 'excessive rivalry', and 'collaborative teams'. Word choice and collocations are generally accurate, with phrases like 'raise standards', 'constructive competition', and 'common goal' used appropriately. There are no noticeable spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. While it occasionally relies on standard academic phrasing rather than highly sophisticated or idiomatic structures, it easily meets the criteria for a Band 7.5, rounding up to a solid Band 7 or pushing into Band 8 for natural control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The student exhibits a wide range of grammatical structures with a high degree of accuracy. The response contains a healthy mix of complex sentences containing subordinate clauses, participial phrases, and conditional ideas, such as 'While some people believe that competition... motivates individuals..., others argue that cooperation produces greater benefits.' The majority of sentences are completely error-free, and control over punctuation and tense consistency is strong throughout. Minor slips are virtually absent, and sentence forms are manipulated with flexibility. This strong command of grammar and punctuation firmly satisfies the Band 8 descriptors.

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