Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-18

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 is often considered an effective way to encourage people to work harder and achieve better results, while others believe that cooperation is more beneficial in both personal and professional life. Although competition can motivate individuals to improve themselves, I believe that cooperation is more important because it creates a supportive environment and allows people to achieve common goals more effectively.

On the one hand, competition can have several positive effects at work, school and in everyday life. When people compete with others, they may become more motivated to improve their skills and perform better. For example, students who compete for higher grades may study more regularly and develop better learning habits. Similarly, employees may work harder when they know that promotions or recognition are based on performance. Healthy competition can therefore encourage ambition, discipline and personal development, particularly when people see their competitors as a source of motivation rather than as enemies.

On the other hand, excessive competition can create stress and damage relationships. If individuals focus only on defeating others, they may become unwilling to share knowledge or help their colleagues. Cooperation, in contrast, allows people with different skills and ideas to work towards the same objective. For instance, in a workplace, a team consisting of designers, developers and marketers can produce a better product by combining their expertise than if each person were trying to outperform the others. Cooperation can also create trust and make it easier to solve problems that are too complex for one individual.

In my opinion, cooperation should generally be given greater importance, although healthy competition still has a useful role. Competition is valuable when it encourages people to challenge themselves and maintain high standards, but it should not come at the expense of teamwork. In schools, for example, students can be encouraged to achieve good grades while also completing group projects where they learn to communicate, share responsibilities and support one another.

In conclusion, competition can encourage people to work harder and develop their abilities, whereas cooperation promotes teamwork, trust and the exchange of ideas. I believe that a balance between the two is ideal, but cooperation should be the stronger principle when achieving a shared goal is more important than individual success.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the benefits of competition and cooperation, while clearly presenting the writer's own position. In the introduction, the student states their stance that cooperation is more important. This position is maintained throughout the essay and supported by well-developed ideas. For example, the second paragraph explains how competition drives motivation and performance in academic and workplace settings, while the third paragraph explores the negative impacts of excessive competition and illustrates the superiority of teamwork using a relevant example of multidisciplinary workplace teams. The ideas are extended effectively with appropriate examples, meeting all requirements for a high band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

Ideas are logically sequenced, and the essay demonstrates a clear progression from introduction to body paragraphs and a concluding summary. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each body paragraph dedicated to a distinct viewpoint (competition, then cooperation, followed by a balanced discussion). Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'Similarly' are managed well to guide the reader through the argument. Referencing is clear, and the overall structure feels natural and cohesive without mechanical overuse of transitional phrases.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient and generally flexible range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic essay. Less common lexical items and collocations are used effectively, such as 'supportive environment,' 'common goals,' 'excessive competition,' and 'multidisciplinary' concepts implied through 'designers, developers and marketers.' Word choice is precise for the most part, and spelling and word formation are entirely accurate. While the range could perhaps be slightly more adventurous to reach the highest band, the vocabulary deployed is fully adequate for clear, precise communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a wide range of structures, successfully combining simple and complex sentences. The majority of sentences are error-free, and the writer demonstrates good control over complex clause structures, such as concessive clauses ('Although competition can motivate individuals...') and conditional structures ('...when they know that promotions or recognition are based on performance'). Punctuation is accurate, and grammatical control is well-maintained throughout the 371-word response, showing only occasional minor slips that do not impede communication.

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.