Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-29

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 6.0)

Many people believe that competition at work, school and daily life is a good thing, while others think that cooperation is more effective, rather than competing with each other. This essay will discuss both views before explaining why I believe that co-operating is beneficial in terms of difficult tasks.

On the one hand, competition can increase a person's productivity. When many people, especially students and employees, try to compete with their classmates and colleages, they do their works attentively and in a better way. Thus, it can be result in a worker's promotion or a learner's excellent performance in the exams. For example, employees often compete with their colleages to earn some extra money as employee of the month.

On the other hand, co-operation is important in order to do complex tasks. Pupils often face complicated subjects such as math and science and their teachers suggest them solve these subjects in a group. And also, doctors have to do some difficult task such as producing a new medicine for contemporary diseases, and it cannot be done by a doctor alone; hence he work with his colleagues to make the task effortless . Moreover, co-operative mind can enhance an individuals behaviour. For example, it can improve a person's communicational skill and helps him to become an active citizen in the society.

To conclude, although the competition may beneficial for personal achievement, particularly for students and workers, I believe that cooperate with each others assits a person to improve his overall traits and acquire some supports from his mates.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both competition and cooperation while also providing a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed. For instance, the body paragraphs explore the benefits of competition regarding productivity and employee performance, while also examining how cooperation aids in solving complex academic subjects and medical tasks. However, some arguments lack deeper extension; for example, the mention of how cooperation enhances an individual's behavior and communication skills is a bit brief and could have been supported with a more detailed example. Despite this minor under-development, the task is successfully fulfilled, and the position is clear throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a clear overall progression and logical organization. It follows a traditional four-paragraph structure with an introduction, two distinct body paragraphs covering each view respectively, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices are used adequately to guide the reader, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'To conclude'. However, referencing and cohesion are occasionally faulty or mechanical. For example, in the third paragraph, the phrasing 'And also, doctors have to do some difficult task... and it cannot be done... hence he work with his colleagues' exhibits awkward transitions and minor referencing inconsistencies. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but overall cohesive control aligns best with a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6 descriptor.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'productivity', 'attentively', 'complex subjects', and 'communicational skill'. There are, however, several noticeable errors in word choice, spelling, and collocation. For instance, the writer uses 'colleages' (spelling error for 'colleagues'), 'do their works' instead of 'do their work' or 'perform their tasks', 'it can be result in' (grammatical/lexical slip), and 'cooperative mind' instead of a 'cooperative attitude' or 'collaborative mindset'. While these lexical inaccuracies and spelling slips occur, they do not impede communication, placing the response securely in the Band 6 territory.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures such as conditional and concessive clauses (e.g., 'When many people... try to compete...', 'To conclude, although the competition may beneficial...'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including tense and agreement issues (e.g., 'competition may beneficial' missing 'be', 'teachers suggest them solve' instead of 'suggest that they solve', 'he work with his colleagues' lacking third-person 's', and 'cooperate with each others' instead of 'cooperating with each other'). While these errors are noticeable and affect accuracy, a mix of successful complex structures is present, and meaning remains clear, justifying a Band 6 score.

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