Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-06

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 whether competition is a healthy practice or not. Some people believe that it is a good thing to compete with other fellows at work, at school and in daily life, whereas others argue that we should focus on cooperation instead of competition.

On the one hand, supporters of the first view argue that people who are competing with their peers will perform better at doing their job. They believe this because seeing someone working harder can push towards putting more effort and time. Moreover, discipline can also be achieved this way. For instance, people living with rich neighbors are more likely to get richer earlier than people living in poor neighborhood. So, competiting with people around can ehance productivity in work.

On the second hand, supporters of the second view argue that people should focus more on working together and helping each other. From my perspective, I agree with this point of view because it can bring honesty in work and people tend to focus more on their weak points rather than judging others. Also, learners can get help from other fellow without embarrasment and it creates the environment of unity.

In conclusion, although both sides present valid arguments, I believe that cooperation opens many doors of opportunity and it allows the room for self belief, confidence and unity. People can work comfortably and can apply their skills more efficiently.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both competition and cooperation, and includes a clear position in the body and conclusion. However, the length requirement is not met, as the student's response contains 226 words, falling short of the 250-word minimum (with 8 words copied from the prompt uncounted). While the ideas are relevant, they remain somewhat limited and under-developed. For instance, the example about rich neighbors and getting richer earlier lacks elaboration and fails to strongly support how workplace or school competition enhances productivity. To reach the next level, the writer needs to expand the response beyond the word limit and fully extend all arguments with more convincing, detailed examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear structure that includes an introduction, body paragraphs addressing each view, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the contrasting viewpoints. However, cohesion can sometimes feel a bit mechanical, particularly with transitional phrases like 'On the one hand' and 'On the second hand' (which contains a slight lexical slip). Referencing and logical progression are generally clear, but the links between sentences occasionally feel abrupt. To improve cohesion to a higher band, the writer should employ a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices without relying on repetitive formulas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task and attempts less common items such as 'productivity', 'cooperation', and 'efficiency'. However, there are notable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as writing 'competiting' instead of 'competing', 'ehance' instead of 'enhance', and the awkward phrase 'On the second hand' instead of 'On the other hand'. These errors do not seriously impede communication, but they reflect a limited and developing lexical range. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to demonstrate greater precision in word selection and ensure accurate spelling of less common words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like 'It is often argued whether...' and 'although both sides present valid arguments...'. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as missing articles ('in poor neighborhood', 'get help from other fellow without embarrasment') and prepositions, but they rarely impede communication. The control over basic sentence patterns is fairly solid, though attempts at complex structures can occasionally be slightly awkward. To progress further, the writer should incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures with a higher frequency of error-free sentences.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.