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)

Few individuals think that competition in the workplace, educational institutions, and everyday life is a good thing. Others believe that we should cooperate more rather than compete against each other. Having competition in our lives can create a stressful environment and affect mental health, leading to a problematic lifestyle. Cooperation would help people earn equally and reduce social differences. Hence, I strongly agree, and in this essay, I will support my opinion with examples.

On the one hand, competition can encourage people to work harder and achieve their goals. When students compete with each other, they may become more motivated to study and improve their results. For example, a student who wants to get higher marks than their classmates may spend more time studying. Similarly, competition at work can encourage employees to improve their skills and complete their tasks more efficiently. Therefore, competition can help people become more productive and successful.

On the other hand, too much competition can create stress and negatively affect people’s mental health. Some people may constantly compare themselves with others and feel disappointed when they do not perform as well. This can create an unhealthy and stressful lifestyle. In contrast, cooperation allows people to support each other and work towards a common goal. For example, students who study together can share their knowledge and help each other understand difficult topics. As a result, they can make progress together without unnecessary pressure.

In my opinion, although competition has some benefits, cooperation is more important in everyday life. People can achieve better results when they help and support one another rather than always trying to be better than others. A balance between healthy competition and cooperation can also create a more positive environment.

In conclusion, competition can motivate people to improve their performance, especially at school and at work. However, excessive competition can cause stress, while cooperation can provide support and create a healthier environment. Therefore, I believe that people should focus more on cooperation while maintaining a reasonable level of competition.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the benefits of competition and the arguments for cooperation, while also providing a clear personal opinion. In the introduction, the writer states, 'Hence, I strongly agree, and in this essay, I will support my opinion with examples.' Body paragraph 1 explores how competition encourages motivation and productivity, citing the example of students and employees. Body paragraph 2 presents the counter-argument regarding stress and highlights cooperation as a solution. The conclusion effectively summarises both sides and reinforces the writer's balanced viewpoint. Ideas are well-extended and supported throughout, aligning well with the Band 7 requirements for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays clear logical organisation and progression from the introduction through the body paragraphs to the conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct sub-topic (e.g., body paragraph 1 for competition, body paragraph 2 for cooperation and stress). The writer uses cohesive devices effectively, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'For example', and 'In contrast'. Referencing is generally clear, ensuring that the reader can easily follow the progression of arguments. This fits the Band 7 descriptor for logical organisation and flexible use of cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task. Words and phrases such as 'educational institutions', 'problematic lifestyle', 'productive and successful', and 'excessive competition' show an ability to use less common lexical items with some awareness of style. There are minor unnatural collocations, such as 'earn equally' in the introduction, but overall the vocabulary is sufficient for precision and clarity. Spelling and word choice errors are rare and do not impede communication, comfortably securing a Band 6.5 to 7.0 score range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The student uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over grammatical structures. Examples of complex sentences include 'When students compete with each other, they may become more motivated to study...' and 'Students who study together can share their knowledge...' Punctuation and sentence boundaries are handled well, and the majority of sentences are grammatically accurate. While there is a minor unnatural phrasing ('Few individuals think' instead of 'Some individuals think'), errors are infrequent and do not impede communication, which aligns with a solid Band 7.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.