Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-17

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)

In this contemporary era, competition is an important part of modern life.Some individuals contemplate that competing with others at work, school and in daily activities encourages people to achieve more,while others argue that cooperation is more beneficial.This assertion will be elaborated upon through a discussion of both key factors along side my personal stance.

On the one hand, there are multiple reasons why some people support competition spirit. The first and the foremost reason is positive effects.It encourages people to work harder and improve their abilities.Moreover, when students compete their classmates for high marks in exam, For instance, they may spend more time studying and develop better learning habits. Similarly, arguments between employees can motivate them to become more productive and creative. Businesses is good example for everyone because all the companies work hard to compete their opponent. Furthermore, which can lead to better products and lower prices for customers.Therefore, a reasonable level of competition can push people to use their full potential in every field.

On the other hand, few inhabitants consider cooperative behaviour due to many reasons.Excessive competition can create stress and also damage relationships.If people mainly focus with being better than others, they may become selfish and avoid to share their knowledge or support their colleagues. To exemplify , in a workplace where employees compete aggressively for promotion, some workers may hide useful information from their teammates.In contrast, working together helps people solve problems better. In modern time, teamwork is very crucial in academic centre and workplaces which lead to help share their notions and make strong relations. In addition, in teamwork all the members are equal and grow together.

In conclusion, although both views have merits, competition can motivate people to work harder and improve skills , whereas cooperation promotes teamwork and stronger relationships. I believe that a balance approach is more important in this hard time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the views on competition and cooperation, and the writer provides a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as students competing for high marks and employees striving for promotions or companies innovating. However, some arguments lack full extension and suffer from minor structural issues, such as incomplete sentences like 'Moreover, when students compete their classmates for high marks in exam, For instance...'. The exploration of the views is generally sound, positioning this performance firmly at Band 6.5, moving toward Band 7 as ideas are reasonably well developed throughout the body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is arranged coherently with a clear overall progression from introduction to body paragraphs and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct views. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion', which help structure the essay. However, there are instances of mechanical or faulty cohesion, such as the dangling clause 'Furthermore, which can lead to better products', where the relative pronoun lacks a clear antecedent clause connection, and some awkward referencing. Despite these occasional cohesive flaws, the logical flow is generally maintained, supporting a solid Band 6.0 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'contemporary era', 'excessive competition', and 'collaborative behaviour'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text. For instance, the writer uses 'competition spirit' instead of 'competitive spirit', 'compete their classmates' instead of 'compete with their classmates', and 'focus with' instead of 'focus on'. Additionally, 'few inhabitants consider cooperative behaviour' is an unnatural phrasing in this context. While these lexical errors occur with some frequency, they do not seriously impede communication, aligning the response with Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and conditional structures. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in punctuation, article usage, and prepositions, such as 'compete their opponent' and 'in modern time, teamwork is very crucial in academic centre'. Punctuation and capitalization errors also appear, such as missing spaces after periods (e.g., 'life.Some individuals', 'examination, For instance,'). Complex structures often contain awkward phrasing or grammatical slips, though simple sentences remain mostly accurate and meaning is rarely obscured. This control profile corresponds to a Band 6.0.

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