Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-16

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 is present in all the places be it work, at school or in daily life. Competition is a good thing it motivates people to work better. It constantly challenges their abilities to perform better. Competition not only impacts our work ethics but also improves our intellectual growth as we as humans are built to learn new things constantly. Observing others and the way they tacle problems in life will challenge a person to change his/her perspective to look at situations. People tend to follow someone with better personality and they sometimes compete with them in a subtle way too. Thus competition build character and mindset of a person and having competition at different places in life is good foe us holistically.

However, opposite to what people favouring competition there are some people who feel that competition is not good. In some situations we should leave behind the competition and work as a team. cooperating with others can help us in achieving a task more quickly and efficiently. When we cooperate with others and the inputs of everyone is valued, it gives people a sense of togetherness and build team spirit in people. Eliminating competition and motivating cooperation not only builds good team but also builds character of people. This can help in development of every facet of life one can imagine. Cooperation is known to build localities, teams, and nations. Teaching cooperation at a young age will build a better society all together. For example whenever a team wins a competition it is not because of competition among its players but the cooperation of all its team members.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the benefits of competition and cooperation, and concludes with their own perspective. The main ideas are generally relevant, but some points lack full extension and deep support. For instance, the discussion on how competition improves intellectual growth and character is stated rather than thoroughly explored with detailed examples. Similarly, the cooperative viewpoint touches on teams and societal development, though the example provided at the end regarding sports teams is slightly contradictory or underdeveloped. The position is clear throughout the response. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, placing it firmly at Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is divided into two main body paragraphs addressing the opposing views, but it lacks a clear introductory and concluding paragraph, which affects the overall structural progression. Within paragraphs, some ideas are logically sequenced, but transitions and cohesive devices are occasionally mechanical or absent. For example, the transition to the second viewpoint relies on a clunky phrase ('However, opposite to what people favouring competition there are some people...'). Referencing and pronoun use are generally clear, but paragraphing could be used more purposefully to separate the introduction and conclusion from the core arguments. This earns a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, touching on useful terms such as 'intellectual growth', 'work ethics', 'perspectives', and 'efficiently'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'tacle' instead of 'tackle', 'foe' instead of 'for', and awkward phrasings like 'build character and mindset of a person' and 'build team spirit in people'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with some inaccuracy. While communication is never impeded, these lexical slips and a lack of sophisticated phrasing keep the score at a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over grammar. However, there are frequent punctuation errors, missing articles, and grammatical inaccuracies. Examples include 'Competition is a good thing it motivates people' (run-on sentence), 'as we as humans' (typo/error for 'as humans'), and missing pluralisation in 'build team spirit in people' and 'builds good team'. Complex structures are attempted, but they often contain minor slips or awkward phrasing. The errors rarely impede communication, aligning well with the Band 6.0 descriptors.

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

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