Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-22

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)

Several individuals believe that competition in educational institutions, workplaces, and daily life is a healthy practice, while others argue that cooperation is more important. This essay will discuss both views and present my opinion.

On the one hand, competition plays a significant role in human life. There are several benefits and drawbacks associated with competition. Firstly, some people are unable to perform well under competitive pressure. For instance, many youngsters experience anxiety due to competition in the workplace, particularly when promotions are based on their performance compared with that of their colleagues. Similarly, some students lose interest in their studies because they have to compete with their peers to achieve the highest position. This can affect their personal growth and reduce their confidence when dealing with other problems in life. Secondly, when society revolves around competition, development may be limited in some sectors. For example, companies may shift their focus from developing innovative products to simply comparing themselves with competing brands.

On the other hand, cooperation benefits both individuals and society. It reduces pressure and provides mental peace to many workers and students. For example, whenever a student faces an academic problem, they can easily seek help from another student. Moreover, this can help build a strong bond between them. Likewise, when colleagues help each other with various tasks and complete projects before deadlines, both employees and the company can benefit. Employees can experience a more supportive and stress-free working environment, while the company can improve its overall productivity.

In my opinion, excessive competition is not healthy because it can affect personal growth and cause mental stress. In contrast, cooperation is essential for making progress in life and can provide mental peace to people in our surroundings.

To conclude, excessive competition can make life more difficult and create self-doubt among many employees and students. Cooperation, on the other hand, is vital for both personal and social growth and can create a more supportive environment for everyone.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the view that competition is beneficial and the view that cooperation is more important, while clearly presenting a personal opinion. The position is maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are generally well extended and supported, such as when the writer explains how workplace competition causes anxiety over promotions or how cooperation improves company productivity. However, the first body paragraph attempts to cover both the benefits and drawbacks of competition within a single section rather than separating them clearly, which leads to a slight over-generalisation in how the views are balanced. Overall, the task is well handled, aligning closely with Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, beginning with a proper introduction, moving to the two main body views, and finishing with an opinion and conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Moreover' are used effectively to guide the reader through the arguments. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately. The only minor limitation is that some referencing is occasionally repetitive, but cohesion never becomes faulty or mechanical. This performance sits comfortably within Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating less common lexical items such as 'educational institutions', 'promotions', 'innovative products', and 'supportive environment'. Word choice is generally appropriate, though there are occasional instances of slightly repetitive phrasing, such as the repeated use of 'competition' and 'cooperation'. Spelling and word formation are accurate throughout the response. While it does not consistently display the wide, flexible range of uncommon items required for higher bands, the vocabulary is precise enough to allow clear communication without impeding the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writer employs a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over relative clauses and conditional-like structures, such as 'particularly when promotions are based on their performance' and 'whenever a student faces an academic problem, they can easily seek help'. There are frequent error-free sentences, and punctuation is handled well. Grammatical errors are minimal and do not impede communication. The range of structures is sufficient to secure a Band 7, as the writer shows good control over grammar with only a few minor slips in complex formations.

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