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)

Whether competition or cooperation better drives success in work, education, and daily life remains a debated topic. While competition fuels individual ambition, cooperation fosters collective progress. Both have distinct roles, and their effectiveness depends on the context.

Advocates for competition highlight its ability to motivate excellence. In workplaces, competitive environments often boost productivity: sales teams with targets, for example, push employees to innovate and exceed expectations, driving personal growth and company success. In schools, healthy academic competition encourages students to strive for better grades and develop resilience. However, excessive competition can lead to negative outcomes, such as stress or a focus on winning over ethical behavior, which may harm relationships or well-being.

Those who prioritize cooperation emphasize its power to unite diverse strengths. Complex tasks, like scientific research or corporate projects, rely on teamwork. For instance, developing a new vaccine requires collaboration between scientists, engineers, and clinicians, whose combined expertise solves problems no individual could tackle alone. In education, group projects teach communication and empathy, preparing students for a world where interdisciplinary collaboration is essential. Yet, unstructured cooperation may cause inefficiencies if roles are unclear, leading to unequal contributions or reduced accountability.

In my view, the key is balancing competition and cooperation, as their value varies by context. Competition drives individual ambition and innovation, while cooperation unites diverse strengths for shared goals like climate solutions. Far from opposites, they complement each other: competition fuels personal growth, cooperation enables collective progress. By using them thoughtfully - prioritizing one where needed - societies can foster environments where individuals thrive and communities advance together.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the views that competition is beneficial and that cooperation is preferable, while clearly stating and supporting the writer's own opinion. The position is well-developed throughout the essay. In the body paragraphs, the writer provides relevant examples, such as sales targets in workplaces and vaccine development in scientific research, which extend and support the ideas effectively. The conclusion neatly ties the arguments together by demonstrating how competition and cooperation can complement rather than oppose one another. Overall, the task response meets all requirements for a high band by maintaining a clear, well-supported focus.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay displays clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, moving smoothly from an introductory overview to body paragraphs examining competition and cooperation respectively, followed by a synthesised conclusion. Cohesive devices are used naturally and effectively, such as 'While competition fuels', 'However, excessive competition', and 'Those who prioritize cooperation emphasize'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to structure the flow of ideas. Referencing is consistently clear, ensuring the reader follows the argument without confusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The student demonstrates a wide, fluent, and flexible vocabulary range suitable for an academic discussion. Less common lexical items are used with good awareness of style and collocation, such as 'collective progress', 'interdisciplinary collaboration', 'excessive competition', and 'unite diverse strengths'. Word choice is generally precise, and there are only occasional minor inaccuracies or common collocations. Spelling and word formation are entirely accurate throughout the text, allowing the reader to engage with the ideas effortlessly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The writing exhibits a wide range of complex grammatical structures used with a high degree of accuracy. The majority of sentences are error-free, featuring sophisticated constructions such as participial clauses ('developing a new vaccine requires collaboration...') and conditional-like phrasing embedded in complex clauses ('By using them thoughtfully... societies can foster environments where individuals thrive...'). Control of grammar and punctuation is strong throughout, with only very occasional, non-systematic slips that never impede communication or strain the reader.

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