Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Some people believe that competition is useful in work, school and daily life. Others think that cooperation is more important. This essay will discuss both views and explain why I believe that cooperation is generally more beneficial.

On the one hand, competition can encourage people to work harder. When students compete with each other, they may study more and try to get better results. Similarly, competition at work can motivate employees to improve their skills and performance. For example, a student may study harder when they want to get a higher grade than their classmates. Therefore, healthy competition can help people achieve their goals.

On the other hand, cooperation can create better relationships and help people solve problems together. When people work as a team, they can share ideas and support each other. For example, in a group project, students can divide the work and complete it more easily. Cooperation is also important in the workplace because employees can combine their different skills.

In conclusion, competition can motivate people to improve, while cooperation helps people work together effectively. In my opinion, both are useful, but cooperation is more important for achieving common goals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student addresses both views by discussing the benefits of competition and cooperation and gives a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. However, the length requirement is not met, as the response contains only 193 words, which falls significantly short of the 250-word minimum. Because of this under-length constraint, the ideas remain somewhat under-developed, preventing the essay from reaching a higher band. For example, while the student mentions that competition encourages people to work harder, the supporting examples are brief and general, such as a student wanting a higher grade than classmates. To achieve a higher score, the response needs to be fully expanded to meet the word count, allowing for more detailed explanations and fully developed examples.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organised into four distinct paragraphs, including an introduction, two body paragraphs discussing each view, and a conclusion. There is a clear overall progression of ideas, moving smoothly from the introduction of the topic to arguments for competition, then arguments for cooperation, and finally the final verdict. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Similarly', and 'In conclusion' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the text. Paragraphing is also well-managed, with each paragraph focusing on a single central theme. However, because the text is quite short, the complexity of cohesion is somewhat limited, keeping this criterion at a solid band 6.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to the prompt such as 'competition', 'cooperation', 'performance', 'relationships', and 'common goals'. There are a few attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'beneficial', 'motivate', and 'effectively', which are used accurately. Word choice is generally natural, and spelling and word formation are error-free. However, the vocabulary remains fairly standard and safe throughout the essay, with limited use of sophisticated or less common lexical items and collocations. To reach a higher band, the student should aim to integrate more precise academic vocabulary and varied lexical phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms. The student successfully employs complex structures, such as 'When students compete with each other, they may study more and try to get better results' and 'Employees can combine their different skills because cooperation is important.' Grammatical control is generally strong, and the majority of the sentences are error-free. Punctuation is used correctly throughout the text, and there are no major errors that impede communication. While the range of structures is somewhat restricted due to the short length of the essay, the accuracy achieved in the sentences written is commendable.

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