Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-28

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)

Competition is often regarded as an essential part of progress in workplaces, educational institutions and everyday life, as it encourages individuals to strive for better results. However, others argue that cooperation is more beneficial because people can achieve more by sharing knowledge and supporting one another. Although competition can be an effective source of motivation, I believe that cooperation is more valuable in the long term, particularly when solving complex problems.

On the one hand, competition can encourage people to work harder and improve their performance. When individuals have an incentive to outperform others, they are often more willing to put greater effort into their responsibilities and pay closer attention to the quality of their work. In the workplace, for example, employees who compete for promotion may become more productive and make greater efforts to avoid mistakes. Similarly, competition among students can encourage them to study consistently and aim for higher academic results. In this way, healthy competition can push individuals beyond their usual limits and help them develop discipline and ambition.

Furthermore, competition can raise standards and encourage people to improve their skills. When individuals or organisations are compared with others, weaknesses become more apparent, which can encourage them to identify areas for improvement. For instance, students who notice that their classmates are achieving better grades may reconsider their study methods and adopt more effective learning strategies. Likewise, companies competing for customers may improve their products or services in order to remain successful. Therefore, when it remains healthy and constructive, competition can contribute to both personal development and improved performance.

On the other hand, cooperation allows people to combine their knowledge, skills and perspectives, which can be particularly useful when dealing with complicated tasks. Unlike competition, where individuals may focus primarily on outperforming one another, cooperation creates an environment in which people can openly exchange ideas and learn from each other's strengths. For example, in a university group project, one student may be skilled in research, another in data analysis, and another in presentation. By combining these abilities, they can identify mistakes more easily and produce a better overall result. Cooperation can also help students understand difficult concepts by giving them opportunities to discuss their weaknesses and receive support from their peers.

In conclusion, competition can motivate individuals to work harder, improve their performance and achieve higher standards. Nevertheless, I believe cooperation is more important overall because sharing ideas, skills and responsibilities can lead to better solutions and stronger collective results. The most productive environments are therefore likely to be those in which people are encouraged to compete with themselves and improve their abilities while still being willing to cooperate with others.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The student fully addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the benefits of competition and cooperation, while also presenting a clear, well-supported personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are well developed with relevant examples, such as employees competing for promotions and university group projects highlighting cooperation. The response satisfies the requirements of Band 8 because all aspects of the prompt are covered thoroughly, positions are maintained throughout, and supporting points are extended logically without digression.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

Ideas are logically sequenced, and there is a clear progression throughout the essay. Paragraphing is used effectively and appropriately, with each body paragraph dedicated to a distinct viewpoint or argument. The student demonstrates good management of cohesive devices, using clear transition signals such as 'On the one hand', 'Furthermore', and 'On the other hand' without overusing or misusing them. Referencing is clear and unambiguous, earning a solid Band 7 for natural organization and smooth thematic flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with good flexibility and precision, suitable for an academic response. Less common items such as 'outperform', 'incentive', 'collective results', and 'complex problems' are used naturally and with accurate collocation. Word choice is generally appropriate throughout, though it occasionally stays within safe, standard academic phrasing rather than pushing into the most sophisticated band 8 or 9 lexical territory. Minor errors are virtually absent, supporting a strong Band 7.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The student exhibits a wide range of complex sentence structures, including conditional and participial clauses (e.g., 'When individuals have an incentive to outperform others...', 'Unlike competition, where individuals may focus primarily...'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and the writer demonstrates good control of grammar and punctuation. There are only very occasional minor awkwardnesses or slips, which does not impede communication at all. The control of complex syntax clearly aligns with the Band 8 descriptor.

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