Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-03

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 5.5)

In modern life, competition in daily life is becoming increasingly important. Nowadays many people believe that competition at work, at school and in daily life is a positive trend. Others argue that it may lead a several problems. I believe its benefits far outweigh its disadvantages. In this essay i will explain the reasons for my opinion.

There are several reasons why I hold this view. The primary reason is that competition in our daily life encourages people to become a successful. For example if we start competition with others we try to become a more successful person then others. Moreover, it provides additional advantages such as people become more discipline because they knows if they miss one day they will lose the scores. In other words, competition places people in a more favorable positions to improve their quality of life, achieve their goals and enhance their overall well-being.

On the other hand, being a cooperate is a significant point, because cooperate is not only affects individuals but also has a considerable effect on society as whole. For example in cooperate people helps each other, complete their work on time and learn a lots of new things. Furthermore, Its positive influence extends to both society and the economy. This is why many people support it.

To conclude, although competition may have a few minor drawbacks, its advantages are far more significant. Therefore, I believe that it is a trend that should be welcomed with caution

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task only partially, and the length requirement is NOT met: the student's response contains 233 words, falling 17 words short of the 250-word minimum (12 words copied from the task prompt were not counted). While the essay mentions both competition and cooperation, the position is not always clearly sustained throughout, and the ideas presented are limited and under-developed. For instance, the discussion on why cooperation matters is extremely brief and lacks adequate support or clear examples. To improve, the writer must ensure the minimum word count is met, fully develop both sides of the prompt with extended explanations, and present a more transparent overall position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some organisation in the essay, but it lacks a clear overall progression from start to finish. Paragraphing is attempted, with distinct sections for the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, but the internal logical flow within paragraphs is frequently disrupted. Cohesive devices are sometimes inadequate, inaccurate, or repetitive, such as the repetitive use of 'For example' and basic transitional phrases. Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in phrases like 'this is why many people support it' where the precise antecedent is weak. To move to a higher band, the writer should use a wider variety of cohesive devices more accurately and ensure that ideas flow logically from one sentence to the next with smoother transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate to convey basic meaning. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'favorable positions' and 'overall well-being', but there are noticeable word choice, word form, and collocation errors that cause some difficulty for the reader, such as using 'a cooperate' as a noun instead of 'cooperation', and writing 'become a successful' instead of 'successful'. Spelling and lexical control show general adequacy for lower bands, but lack the precision required for higher levels. To reach the next band, the writer needs to expand their range of vocabulary, use word forms accurately in context, and avoid awkward phrasings like 'lead a several problems'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a very limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple sentences with frequent attempts at complex structures that are often faulty. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that can cause difficulty for the reader, including problems with subject-verb agreement ('because they knows'), articles ('in a more favorable positions'), and awkward clause structures ('if we start competition with others we try to become a more successful person then others'). Punctuation and capitalization errors, such as the lower-case 'i' in the introduction, also persist. To improve, the writer must focus on basic grammatical accuracy, correct subject-verb agreements, and gain better control over complex sentence patterns.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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