Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Few individuals believe that competition at the workplace, in academic institutions and in day-to-day life should be encouraged, while others believe that cooperating is significantly better than competing. In my opinion, competition is good for individuals to improve productivity, however, excessive competition might have harmful effects on people.

On the one hand, competition at school inculcates children with a sense of positive fighting mindset, which subsequently makes them motivated and they tend to perform better in domains like academics, culture and arts. The corporate workplace culture requires individuals to compete at every level, which in turn provides them with job security. For example, working professionals in MNCs emphasize on winning the employee of the month award as it awards them with a sense of victory, accomplishment and satisfaction. Moreover, people in everyday life compare themselves with their neighbours and relatives to feel proud.

On the other hand, critics argue that too much competition can have negative consequences and we should focus more on cooperating than competing. Cooperating with other people increases task achievement and reduces the chances of error as you work as a team. For example, a tedious excel sheet arrangement task would be finished quickly if done as teamwork and human errors are significantly reduced as well. Furthermore, competition can lead to depression for some individuals as they get anxious when someone outperforms them. Therefore, competition should be reduced and cooperation must be encouraged among individuals.

In conclusion, competition can be both helpful and harmful for people. Striking a proper balance between the two is important to maximise the benefits and reduce the harmful effects. With proper guidance and limited use, it can serve as an important tool for productivity and motivation while avoiding the harmful effects of depression and error.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the view that competition is beneficial and the view that cooperation should be prioritised, while also clearly stating the writer's own opinion in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are relevant and extended well, such as explaining how academic competition fosters a 'positive fighting mindset' and how cooperation reduces errors in group tasks like an 'excel sheet arrangement task'. The position is maintained throughout the essay. The student could improve further by fully developing the counter-arguments with slightly more depth, but overall, all requirements of this criterion are comfortably met for a Band 7.0 performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from a well-structured introduction to body paragraphs clearly signposted with transitional phrases like 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand', and finishing with a logical conclusion. Cohesive devices are used appropriately, such as 'subsequently', 'which in turn', and 'furthermore'. Paragraphing is well-managed, and referencing throughout the text is clear, ensuring the reader can follow the writer's arguments without difficulty, which aligns well with the Band 7.0 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow for flexibility and precision, employing less common lexical items such as 'inculcates', 'outperforms', and 'maximise'. Word choices are generally appropriate, though there are a few minor awkward collocations or phrasing choices, such as 'working professionals in MNCs emphasize on winning' (where 'emphasize' does not take 'on') and 'excel sheet arrangement task'. Nevertheless, spelling and word choice errors do not impede communication, and the vocabulary used is entirely adequate for discussing workplace and educational themes, justifying a Band 6.5 score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating relative clauses ('which subsequently makes them motivated') and conditional ideas. There is good control over grammar and punctuation for the most part. However, a few minor inaccuracies exist, such as the missing preposition or article handling in phrases like 'Few individuals believe' (where 'A few' or 'Some' would be more natural) and 'done as teamwork' (where 'done as a team' or 'done through teamwork' is preferred). These errors do not impede communication, and there are frequent error-free sentences, supporting a solid Band 6.5 or 7.0.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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