Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-19

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 5.0)

some person believes that competition at work, at studies and in regular leaving is a positive in contrast some think that cooperate with others is good option than competing.

one side is that when a person face competition he tends to work hard by seeing others and their success because according to human psychology when one see others going ahead from them in their field or work space we tends to take more motivation and inspiration from them and can work more than their limits and achieve their goal. Furthermore this gives them happiness of surpassing others and got their target early. This method works everywhere therefore many firms and schools uses it to give their workers or students competitive approach. Example study institutes gives ranks and prices to pupils who gain good grades or companies give the best employer awards to their best working employees this gives other coworkers a sense of jealousy which seem in their performance.

on the other hand, because of human nature some can feel increased level of stress if they are not able to overtake others in terms of works or grades for students. because of this many parents compares their child with others which might create unnecessary anxiety on the children of being compared with other child therefore they take less challenges and try to run from their failure.

in conclusion, I believe that there should be some amount of healthy competition in pioneers is good and it is needed for everyone with that person stays attached to their work or education.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt regarding competition and cooperation, and offers a personal opinion in the conclusion. However, the development of ideas is limited and at times repetitive. For instance, the discussion of competition in the second paragraph mentions how humans seek motivation from others, but the explanation remains superficial and relies on general claims rather than fully extended arguments. The conclusion briefly states the author's opinion, but the reasoning is somewhat unclear ('healthy competition in pioneers is good'). Overall, the response meets the criteria for Band 5.0, as it addresses all parts of the task but lacks depth and clear overall positioning in places.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is divided into four paragraphs, which is an appropriate structure for an opinion essay. However, cohesive devices are basic, repetitive, or inaccurate, such as starting paragraphs with 'one side is that' and 'on the other hand'. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to guide the reader smoothly through the arguments. Additionally, referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly with pronoun use like 'they' and 'them', making it hard to follow whether the author is referring to employers, employees, or students. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion requires better control. This performance aligns with a Band 5.0 descriptor.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, featuring frequent word-formation and collocation errors. Examples include 'some person believes' instead of 'some people believe', 'regular leaving' instead of 'daily life', 'study institutes' instead of 'educational institutions', and 'prices' instead of 'prizes'. The student attempts less common vocabulary, such as 'motivation and inspiration' and 'surpassing others', but inaccuracies in word choice and spelling persist throughout the text. These errors occasionally strain the reader's understanding, fitting the Band 5.0 level well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The text displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, with frequent errors that cause difficulty for the reader. There are persistent issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'one see others' and 'firm and schools uses'. Punctuation is largely neglected, with run-on sentences and missing capitalisation at the beginning of sentences and for personal pronouns. Complex sentences are attempted, but they are often faulty or tangled, such as 'because of this many parents compares their child with others which might create unnecessary anxiety...'. These frequent errors place the response firmly at Band 5.0.

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

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