Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Opinions are divided on whether competition exists in offices, educational institutions, and routine life, which is considered a good element. While proponents of collaborative work, studying is crucial rather than competing with one another. I firmly side with those who tend to collaborate rather than compete, which results in overall growth, not focusing only on self-growth.

Those who support competing with their coworkers or classmates are much more likely to be selfish people, as their core goal is to grow themselves. For example, in a boxing match, only one player can win, whereas in the professional world, more than one person can win; even big teams can win, but only with collaborative efforts. Competition can sometimes be healthy and helpful in order to grow, as it allows individuals to diminish laziness and get the best out of themselves in order to win.

On the other hand, I believe cooperation with one another carries more merit because it helps you to understand each other better and work together on the weaknesses. Assisting each other while studying can help to achieve the targeted grades with coordination. For example, studying a topic in which only one person is an expert, and he helps his friends while studying; eventually, all passed the exam with flying colours.

In conclusion, although both perspectives have merit, I am inclined to believe that competition with you colleagues and class fellows can help you win alone, subsequently working and collaborating with each other can help you to grow together, and I believe growing together is crucial.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear preference for cooperation and include relevant points about both sides: competition may motivate people to overcome laziness, while cooperation can help people address weaknesses and learn together. The boxing comparison and study-group example support these ideas. However, the discussion is uneven: the case for competition is brief, and the claim that competitors are “much more likely to be selfish” is broad and not sufficiently explained. The study example also needs clearer detail about how cooperation leads to the result. To strengthen the response, explain each view more fully and make the examples directly demonstrate the benefits or drawbacks you describe.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two perspectives, and a conclusion. Transitions such as “On the other hand” and “In conclusion” help signal the direction of the argument. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear: the first body paragraph moves from selfishness to boxing and then to the motivational value of competition without fully connecting these points. Some linking is also mechanical, and the conclusion’s long sentence makes the relationship between competing and cooperating difficult to follow. Use clearer topic sentences and develop one main point at a time, with pronouns and linking phrases that make the connections between claims explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic vocabulary, including “collaborative efforts,” “weaknesses,” “coordination,” and “merit,” and the main ideas are generally understandable. There are, however, noticeable word-choice and collocation problems that make some expressions awkward, such as “competition exists … which is considered a good element,” “grow themselves,” and “achieve the targeted grades.” “Class fellows” and “with flying colours” are also less natural in this context. Aim for more precise, conventional phrasing and check whether each expression fits the intended meaning. For example, describe competition as beneficial or harmful, and use “personal development” rather than the less natural “grow themselves.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including a concession in “although both perspectives have merit” and a relative clause in “which results in overall growth.” Meaning is usually recoverable, but errors recur in sentence construction and verb forms. The opening sentence is awkwardly structured, and “While proponents of collaborative work, studying is crucial” does not form a complete, clear contrast. In the example, “studying a topic … and he helps his friends …; eventually, all passed” shifts between an incomplete construction and past tense. The conclusion also contains a long, poorly controlled sentence. Practise building complete clauses, maintaining consistent tense, and separating connected ideas into clearer sentences.

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