Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-30

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)

It is often argued computing at office, at school and in regular activities is beneficial while, other believe that working together is more adventageous than competing with each other. Competition makes people creative, do hard working and determination towards their's goal and destination. I will provide both view with relevant example on upcoming paragraphs.

Competition can be a powerful force for improvement because it encourages people to set ambitious goals and perform to a higher standard. In schools, for instance, students who compete in examinations or academic contests often become more disciplined and motivated to outperform their peers. Similarly, competition in the workplace can encourage employees to acquire new skills, increase productivity and develop innovative approaches. Businesses also benefit from competition because companies are pushed to improve the quality of their products and services in order to attract customers. Therefore, a reasonable degree of competition can stimulate both individual achievement and wider progress.

However, excessive competition can create considerable disadvantages, particularly when success is measured solely by outperforming others. At school, intense rivalry may cause students to experience unnecessary pressure and may encourage them to focus on grades rather than genuine learning. In the workplace, employees who constantly compete for promotions or recognition may become reluctant to share knowledge with colleagues. This can damage relationships and create an unhealthy environment in which people regard their co-workers as opponents rather than members of the same team.

For this reason, I believe that cooperation should play a more important role in daily life, although competition still has a valuable place when it is conducted fairly. Many significant achievements require people to combine their abilities rather than work independently. For example, developing a successful business often involves cooperation between managers, engineers, designers and marketing professionals, each contributing different expertise. Likewise, students working together on a project can exchange ideas, explain difficult concepts to one another and ultimately develop a deeper understanding of the subject.

In conclusion, competition can motivate people to improve and achieve ambitious goals, but excessive rivalry can generate stress and undermine relationships. A balanced approach, in which healthy competition is complemented by meaningful cooperation, is therefore more beneficial for individuals and society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views on competition and cooperation and providing a clear personal opinion. The writer's position is maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are extended and well-supported with relevant explanations and examples, such as the mention of students and workplace environments in body paragraphs two and three. While the introductory paragraph contains some awkward phrasing ('computing at office' instead of competing), the core arguments regarding the benefits and drawbacks of both concepts are well developed, fully meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a clear overall progression and logical organisation. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving effectively from the introduction to the benefits of competition, its drawbacks, the value of cooperation, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices such as 'For instance', 'Similarly', 'However', and 'For this reason' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is managed sufficiently and appropriately, contributing to the overall readability and structural coherence of the text, fitting a solid Band 7.0 level.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student displays an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'ambitious goals', 'innovative approaches', 'excessive rivalry', and 'complemented by meaningful cooperation'. However, there are notable lexical errors and spelling mistakes in the introductory paragraph, such as 'computing' instead of 'competition', 'adventageous' instead of 'advantageous', and awkward collocations like 'do hard working'. These minor inaccuracies slightly lower the overall lexical score, but since communication is never impeded and appropriate academic vocabulary is used successfully elsewhere, a Band 6.0 is warranted.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures throughout the essay, demonstrating a good range of grammatical forms. Examples of complex structures include 'students who compete in examinations or academic contests often become more disciplined' and 'employees who constantly compete for promotions... may become reluctant'. There are some grammatical errors, particularly in the introduction, such as 'towards their's goal' and 'I will provide both view', but the majority of sentences in the main body paragraphs are accurate and well-constructed. Punctuation and sentence boundaries are generally controlled well, aligning with a Band 6.5.

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