Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-23

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)

It is often argued that people view competition at work, at school, and in daily life as a good thing, while others believe we should cooperate rather than compete.

On the other hand, I believe that cooperating with everyone is better than competing with each other. Firstly, it can improve your patience level and understanding level. However, it also develops a habit in you to understand every matter rather than making an immediate response. For example, most of our youngsters do not have much patience; if they don't succeed in life, they just think that they are a failure, try to improve their life on their own, and they just lose hope.

Secondly, if people compete with each other rather then co operate with each other. they just become strong and a independent person. And they just believe in their own self for achieving anything in life and they also know that there is no one who helps them. For example, if a student is not good at studies but he likes competitions, he just becomes a good student, and he works hard to achieve his goal in life, and he doesn't care what other indiviuals thinks waht they have thought about him; he just works on his goals without caring about other people. This is somehow better in life, but it makes him selfish, and it is also possible that he harms his competitors.

In contrast, I thought that it is better to cooperate rather than compete because its make yours life harder, even though you become a harsh person. Moreover,it also provides benefits to your future.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views on competition and cooperation, and the writer provides a clear, albeit contradictory, personal position. In the introduction, the writer notes that people view competition as positive while others prefer cooperation, but then immediately states an opinion in the second paragraph favouring cooperation. However, the body paragraphs contain conflicting arguments; for example, the second body paragraph outlines the benefits of competition before concluding that it makes someone selfish. Ideas are presented and supported with examples, such as the student studying hard, but the overall development is sometimes confused and contradictory. For instance, the writer states in the conclusion that they thought it is better to cooperate because competition makes life harder, which contradicts the mixed evaluation in the body. Consequently, the task response is somewhat uneven, fitting the Band 5.0 to 5.5 descriptors well.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The essay displays some organization with basic paragraphing, separating the introduction, two body paragraphs, and a brief conclusion. However, the logical progression is frequently disrupted. Cohesive devices are often used inaccurately or mechanically, such as starting the second main body paragraph with 'Secondly, if people compete with each other rather then co operate with each other. they just become strong...', which creates a fragmented sentence structure with incorrect punctuation and referencing. Pronoun referencing is also occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'it also develops a habit in you' and 'what other indiviuals thinks waht they have thought about him'. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion is weak, resulting in an overall arrangement that corresponds to Band 5.0 descriptors.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student uses a limited and repetitive range of vocabulary that is minimally adequate for the task. Words and phrases such as 'good thing', 'make yours life', 'harder', and 'harsh person' are simplistic. There are also noticeable word-choice and collocation errors, such as 'patience level and understanding level', 'indiviuals thinks', and 'co operate'. Spelling errors occur, notably 'indiviuals' and 'waht', along with grammatical word-form slips like 'its make yours life'. While communication is generally maintained despite these flaws, the vocabulary lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands, placing this response firmly at Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The essay demonstrates a limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside some attempts at complex forms that are often faulty. Examples of grammatical inaccuracies include sentence fragments and punctuation errors, such as 'rather then co operate with each other. they just become strong and a independent person.' Article misuse is also evident ('a independent person', 'makes yours life'), alongside subject-verb agreement issues like 'other indiviuals thinks'. Frequent errors in grammar and punctuation cause some difficulty for the reader and impede smooth reading, although the core message can still be deciphered. This profile aligns with the Band 5.0 descriptors.

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

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