Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-09

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)

It is considered by many that having competitions in different settings, such as at the workplace, in educational institutions, and in daily life, is a remarkable practice. However, some argue that cooperation in every field is better than competition. From my perspective, I believe that competition between people gives more resilience and power to make things better in life.

To begin with, competition and challenges in life are very crucial for people. It makes people more confident. By keeping in view th competent, people try to do things better from every perspective. They work hard to achieve their particular objectives. For instance, scholars in educational institutions become more competent with each other, and everyone tries to study hard to stand 1st in the class. Therefore, it provides every student with learning skills and understanding in the particular field.

Moreover, there is a high level of competition in the workplace. People are competing to achieve their goals, whether it is a promotion, a salary increment, or better facilities. It helps every individual to work hard and make significant progress, which is beneficial for the country. To illustrate, workers in offices or in organizations such as telecommunications or oil mills put in effort so that their company or workplace stands out in the market and ultimately provides benefits to the country.

By contrast, I think cooperation has a positive impact on society. If people help each other in every difficult situation in various fields of life, they could develop ideas and problem solving skills. It allows people to avoid the fact of jealousy between themselves and want to help people in every aspect rather than compete. Workplaces and institutes may find more developed ideas to deal with a situation if people work in groups.

In conclusion, I believe that although there are many positive side of cooperation, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. By developing a sense of competition, individuals get better skills in their lives.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both competition and cooperation, and your own view is present: the introduction favours competition, while the conclusion says its advantages outweigh those of cooperation. Relevant examples include students striving to rank first and employees seeking promotion. However, the position becomes unclear because the conclusion first appears to favour cooperation (“the advantages outweigh the disadvantages”) before endorsing competition. The cooperation argument is also less developed: you mention shared ideas and problem-solving, but do not explain these benefits through a specific example or compare them directly with competition. Develop each side more evenly and state your final position consistently, with reasons that clearly support it.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs on competition and cooperation, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “To begin with,” “Moreover,” and “By contrast” help readers follow the broad organisation. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes repetitive: the education paragraph repeats that students compete and work hard without extending the explanation much. Some links between ideas are unclear, particularly the conclusion’s shift from praising cooperation to saying competition has greater advantages. The phrase “By keeping in view th competent” also interrupts the flow and makes the intended connection difficult to follow. Use clearer references and ensure each paragraph develops one central point in a logical sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “resilience,” “promotion,” “salary increment,” “problem solving skills,” and “significant progress.” These choices show an attempt to discuss work and education beyond very basic terms. However, several expressions are awkward or imprecise, such as “keeping in view th competent,” “avoid the fact of jealousy,” and “more developed ideas.” Repetition of “people,” “competition,” and “work hard” also limits flexibility. Choose collocations that express the intended meaning naturally, and check word forms and spelling; for example, “competent” does not fit the unclear phrase in the second paragraph. More precise vocabulary would make the arguments easier to understand and more convincing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional structures such as “If people help each other … they could develop ideas” and a relative clause in “progress, which is beneficial for the country.” Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors occur often enough to make some sentences awkward or unclear. For example, “It makes people more confident” has an unclear reference, while “there are many positive side” has a plural-agreement error. The sentence beginning “By keeping in view…” is also structurally difficult to interpret. Review subject–verb agreement, singular and plural forms, and pronoun references, and build complex sentences around a clear main clause. This will improve accuracy without limiting your range.

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