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)

Different people have different opinions regarding a competitive environment. Some people belive that competition in workplace, in school and in everyday life has positive effect while others argue that we should place greater emphasis on cooperation rather than competing one another. This essay will discuss both perspectives.

On the one hand, there are several reasons why people believe that competition is a good thing. First, it motivates people to make their dreams come true, encourage them to work hard and achieve their goals. Furthermore, competing with one another can make their performances better and improve their ability to participate in different activities. For example, people who see others as their competitors may find it easy to overcome different challenges of their lives.

On the other hand, others think that we should try to cooperate more rather than competing with each other. Every person is different in their nature and their ability to do work is different from others. Being in a competitive environment is hard for the people who complete their tasks more slowly than other persons and feel more relaxed in a cooperative environment and they may think more clearly in calm surrounding. For instance, cooperating with one another makes some people more confident that they can even take help if they need it.

In Conclusion, Competition can motivate individuals to work harder and improve their performances, while cooperation can help people feel more confident and work effectively with others. Both approaches can provide different benefits in the workplace, at school and in everyday life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the views in favour of competition and those in favour of cooperation. The introduction outlines both perspectives, and the body paragraphs elaborate on the positive effects of competition, such as motivation and improved performance, as well as the benefits of cooperation, such as confidence and a calmer working environment. However, the writer's own opinion is entirely missing from the response; although the prompt explicitly asks to 'give your own opinion,' the conclusion merely summarises the two views without stating a personal stance. Because the position is not stated or developed, the response does not fully satisfy all requirements of the task, placing it firmly in the Band 6 category where parts of the prompt are addressed less fully.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear, logical division into introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The progression of ideas is generally easy to follow, moving naturally from competition to cooperation. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' 'Furthermore,' and 'For example' are employed to link ideas together, though referencing occasionally feels slightly mechanical. For instance, the transition in the third paragraph relies on repetitive structures ('other persons' and 'other peers'). Overall, the logical structure and cohesive elements are sufficient for a clear flow of ideas, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'competitive environment,' 'cooperative environment,' 'motivates,' and 'overcome different challenges.' However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors, such as 'belive' instead of 'believe,' 'in workplace' instead of 'in the workplace,' and 'competing one another' instead of 'competing with one another.' The writer also attempts some less common vocabulary, but these attempts occasionally suffer from minor collocation inaccuracies. While these lexical slips and spelling mistakes do not impede overall communication, they prevent the vocabulary from reaching a higher band score, making Band 6 an accurate reflection of the student's lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. The writer attempts complex structures, such as relative clauses ('people who see others as their competitors') and conditional ideas, with moderate success. However, there are several grammatical errors and punctuation slips throughout the text, including run-on sentences in the third paragraph ('Being in a competitive environment is hard for the people who complete their tasks more slowly than other persons and feel more relaxed...') and missing prepositions or articles. Despite these errors in grammar, the meaning remains clear and communication is not impeded. The control over simple sentences is good, but the frequency of errors in complex structures keeps the grammar score at Band 6.

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