Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-01

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 8.5)

Whether competition or cooperation better serves individuals and society is a long-standing debate, with compelling arguments on both sides depending on the context in question.

Advocates of competition argue that it drives improvement and innovation. In the workplace, employees who compete for promotions or recognition often push themselves to perform beyond the minimum expected of them, which ultimately benefits organisations through higher productivity. Similarly, in education, a degree of academic competition — through grades, exams, or scholarships — can motivate students to engage more seriously with their studies than they might otherwise. Proponents also point to sport as evidence that competition builds resilience and teaches individuals how to cope constructively with both success and failure.

Those who favour cooperation, however, contend that working together produces more sustainable and equitable outcomes. In most modern workplaces, complex problems are rarely solved by a single person acting alone; rather, they require diverse skills combined through teamwork, meaning that an overly competitive culture can actually hinder progress by discouraging knowledge-sharing. Cooperation advocates also highlight the psychological cost of constant competition, arguing that it can foster anxiety, unhealthy comparison, and even unethical behaviour when individuals prioritise winning over integrity. In collectivist societies particularly, group harmony is often valued above individual achievement, suggesting that cooperation may align more naturally with long-term social wellbeing.

In my opinion, the two approaches are not mutually exclusive but are best applied selectively according to context. Competition has clear value in domains where individual effort directly drives quality, such as sales or athletics, whereas cooperation is indispensable in situations demanding collective problem-solving, such as scientific research or crisis response. Rather than treating this as a binary choice, the most effective individuals and organisations tend to cultivate both skills, competing when it sharpens performance and cooperating when it multiplies it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The response covers all parts of the task thoroughly and presents a well-developed, fully supported position throughout. The introduction clearly acknowledges both views on whether competition or cooperation is preferable, and this is maintained through detailed body paragraphs. For instance, the discussion on how competition drives productivity in the workplace and academic engagement in schools is logically extended with specific examples like exams and scholarships. Similarly, the counter-perspective on the psychological costs and collective benefits of teamwork is thoroughly articulated. The conclusion successfully synthesises these ideas by offering a nuanced personal stance that the two approaches can be applied selectively depending on the context. Every argument is pertinent and thoughtfully elaborated without any noticeable omissions or irrelevant tangents.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

Ideas are logically sequenced and progress naturally from the introduction through the competing viewpoints to the final synthesis. Paragraphing is used very appropriately, with each paragraph dedicated to a distinct thematic focus—such as the arguments for competition, the case for cooperation, and the final personal opinion. Cohesive devices are managed with skill and subtlety, avoiding mechanical transitions. For example, phrases like 'Advocates of competition argue,' 'Those who favour cooperation, however,' and 'In my opinion' guide the reader smoothly through the argumentative structure. Referencing and substitution are handled with precision, ensuring that the relationships between ideas remain transparent and cohesive throughout the entire essay.

Lexical Resource: Band 8.5

The vocabulary demonstrated throughout the text is wide, fluent, and flexible, employing a rich variety of precise lexical items appropriate for an academic context. The writer makes skilful use of uncommon and sophisticated phrases such as 'long-standing debate,' 'sustainable and equitable outcomes,' 'overly competitive culture,' and 'mutually exclusive.' Word choice and collocation are handled with a high degree of natural control, as seen in expressions like 'foster anxiety,' 'unhealthy comparison,' and 'collective problem-solving.' There are only occasional minor limitations or slips, which do not detract from the overall fluency, reflecting a strong command of precise and topic-specific vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.5

A wide range of complex structures is utilised with a high level of flexibility and control. The vast majority of sentences are completely error-free, featuring sophisticated syntactic patterns such as participial phrases ('meaning that an overly competitive culture can actually hinder progress') and conditional or concessive clauses. Control over verb forms, tenses, subject-verb agreement, articles, and punctuation is exceptionally strong. Minor slips are virtually absent, and even when lengthy, multi-clause sentences are constructed—such as the final sentence evaluating how the most effective individuals operate—the grammatical architecture remains robust, accurate, and completely transparent for the reader.

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