Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)
)
Discussions about ----------- have long been ongoing among people -- --is a very interesting topic to discuss in our society nowadays as it has many pros and cons. This essay will highlight the main advantages and disadvantages of - -", including and --------.d will use pertinent arguments to explain why the former notion merits attention.
Many arguments support --, but the most prominent one is that people should pay special attention to--- --. For instance, Standford University found that 55% of respondents benefit from --- "" and 75% experience disadvantages from it. Consequently, it is clear why many citizens support
Adding to the support for -
--is the fact that governments throughout the world have
become more active in addresing this issue. . A profound weakness/beneft of -- is its ability to influence and--
Overal,the advantages/disadvantages of - like - and cannot be ignored. Considering what was discussed above, there is no doubt that Outweighs its drawbacks. My final point is that believe that there are indeed too many benefits to ignore when it comes to --
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 4.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 4.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 3.0
The student's response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 250 words, containing only 178 words. Due to this severe under-length, the task cannot be fully addressed or developed. Furthermore, the text contains numerous missing terms, placeholder dashes, and template phrases (such as 'Discussions about ----------- have long been ongoing'), making it impossible to evaluate a coherent argument or a clear position on the prompt regarding competition versus cooperation. While there is an attempt to introduce a topic and mention a study, the content is severely fragmented and incomplete, leading to a Band 3.0 descriptor profile for Task Achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0
The response shows an attempt to structure an essay using transitional phrases such as 'Consequently' and 'Adding to the support for', but the pervasive gaps, missing words, and fragmented sentences severely disrupt the overall logical progression. Paragraphing is attempted, but the lack of complete sentences and coherent ideas makes it difficult to follow any overarching argument. Referencing and cohesive devices are frequently mechanical or rendered meaningless by the missing text. This level of coherence aligns best with a Band 4.0 descriptor.
Lexical Resource — Band 4.0
It is extremely difficult to assess the student's true lexical range because a significant portion of the text consists of dashes, missing words, and repetitive template phrases like 'advantages and disadvantages'. Where actual words are present, such as 'respondents', 'government', and 'influence', they demonstrate a basic vocabulary suitable for simple communication. However, the heavy reliance on placeholders and incomplete phrases restricts the vocabulary to a minimal level, warranting a Band 4.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
The text contains very few complete, grammatically sound sentences. While the student attempts a few complex structures such as 'Considering what was discussed above, there is no doubt that...', the presence of broken syntax, punctuation errors like 'Overal,the', and incomplete clauses makes it challenging to find sustained error-free structures. Grammar is heavily compromised by the fragmented nature of the writing, which falls into the Band 4.0 category where structures are extremely limited and errors are frequent.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.