Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-24

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 7.0)

Some people believe that competition at work, at school and in everyday life is beneficial, while others argue that people should cooperate rather than compete with one another. Although competition can encourage people to work harder, I believe that cooperation is more important for achieving long-term success.

On the one hand, competition can have several positive effects. Firstly, it can motivate people to improve their performance and achieve their goals. For example, students who compete with their classmates may study harder and try to obtain better results in examinations. Similarly, competition in the workplace can encourage employees to be more productive and develop new skills. In addition, a reasonable level of competition can help people become more confident and determined when facing challenges.

On the other hand, cooperation can be more beneficial in many situations. When people work together, they can share their knowledge, skills and ideas, which can lead to better solutions. For instance, in a workplace, employees from different departments can cooperate on a project and use their individual skills to achieve a common goal. Cooperation is also particularly important in daily life because people often need to support one another. Excessive competition, by contrast, may create stress, jealousy and conflict, especially when people become more concerned about winning than working effectively with others.

In my opinion, both competition and cooperation have their advantages, but cooperation should be given greater importance. Healthy competition can motivate individuals to improve, whereas cooperation allows people to achieve goals that may be difficult to accomplish alone. Therefore, people should learn to compete in a fair manner while also being willing to cooperate with others.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the views that competition is beneficial and that cooperation is preferable, while also presenting a clear overall position in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant and supported with appropriate examples, such as students competing for better grades and employees cooperating on projects. The position is maintained consistently throughout the essay, and the main arguments are extended appropriately. The response meets the requirements for Band 7, as it covers all components of the prompt with a clear position, though further development or more specific examples in places could push it higher.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, starting with a well-formulated introduction, moving through balanced body paragraphs discussing competition and cooperation respectively, and ending with a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used effectively and transparently, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Firstly', and 'In addition'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to structure the argument. The progression of ideas is smooth, allowing the reader to follow the writer's line of reasoning easily, fitting the Band 7 descriptors well.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary with good flexibility and precision, suitable for an academic response. Phrases such as 'long-term success', 'improve their performance', 'common goal', and 'excessive competition' demonstrate an adequate control of word choice and collocation. There are also attempts at less common items, such as 'productive', 'excessive', and 'conflict'. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate throughout the essay. While it does not consistently display the more sophisticated, idiomatic lexical control required for Band 8, the vocabulary used effectively communicates the intended ideas without causing confusion, aligning comfortably with a Band 7 score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The writer showcases a good variety of complex structures alongside simple forms. Examples of complex sentences include 'Although competition can encourage people to work harder, I believe that cooperation is more important...' and 'When people work together, they can share their knowledge...'. There is a high proportion of error-free sentences, and punctuation is handled correctly throughout. Grammatical control is strong, with only very occasional minor slips, which matches the characteristics of the Band 8 descriptor where the majority of sentences are error-free.

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