Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-13

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)

Many people argue that there should be healthy competition between colleges at work that improves their skills and productivity. Others argue that there should be cooperation between individuals so that they could also learn from each other. I believe that in schools or work place competition is necessary so that they stop relying on others and work on improving themselves through discipline.

In corporate environment everyone is accessed on the number of tasks they perform on daily basis. Their salary increment also depends upon their quality of work. If an individuals keeps on helping others he might not be able to complete his own work on time. This may led to working over time reaching home late, stress and depression. So keeping your health in check also requires a healthy competitive environment where every individual gets their own work done without disturbing others. For instance, in Japan many professionals face this problem and can be seen exhausted and going home late after work. Furthermore, relying on others never helps to learn new skills and a person would not be able to develop good discipline.

On the other hand, for new individual at school or at work needs guidance on how to get started and at that time cooperation from seniors is necessary. This guidance helps them to build a strong foundation. Those already in that field for many years can lead them through experience they have gained over the years.

In conclusion, A balance between both is required as we cannot deny the importance of cooperation between individuals at work or school. Meanwhile, a healthy competition is also required so that people do not rely on others for every task they perform as it will not improve their skills.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both sides of the discussion and state a clear preference for competition, while your conclusion recognises that cooperation also has a role. The workplace examples—performance-based salary increases and the risk of overwork—are relevant, and the point about newcomers needing guidance gives the cooperation view some support. However, the two sides are not developed equally: the cooperation paragraph is brief and offers only one main reason, while the competition argument includes several claims that are not fully explained. For example, the link between helping colleagues and stress could be qualified, since cooperation does not necessarily prevent someone completing their own work. Develop both views with clearer explanation and a specific example, and make your final position more precise about when each approach is beneficial.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph supporting competition, a contrasting paragraph on cooperation, and a conclusion. Transitions such as “On the other hand” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the main direction. Within paragraphs, however, some connections feel mechanical or the reasoning moves quickly between points. In the competition paragraph, the discussion shifts from salary and workload to health, Japan, and discipline without fully showing how each point supports the central claim. The cooperation paragraph also ends without linking its guidance example back to the comparison. Use clearer topic sentences and connect each example explicitly to the paragraph’s main idea; more precise referencing would also make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary, including “productivity,” “salary increment,” “guidance,” “foundation,” and “discipline,” which allows you to discuss work and education clearly. Some choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, however, such as “colleges at work,” “everyone is accessed on the number of tasks,” and “working over time.” These reduce precision, even though the intended meaning is generally recoverable. There are also word-form and spelling issues, including “individuals keeps” and “work place.” Aim for more natural academic collocations and check spelling and word forms carefully. For instance, describe employees as being “assessed on their performance” and use “overtime” for additional working hours.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including conditional and relative structures such as “If an individuals keeps on helping others…” and “Those already in that field for many years can lead them through experience…”. The overall meaning remains understandable, but some errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence construction limit accuracy. Examples include “an individuals keeps,” “This may led,” and “For new individual at school or at work needs guidance,” where the subject structure is incomplete. Capitalisation after “In conclusion” is also inconsistent. Review subject–verb agreement and past participles, and make sure each sentence has a clear subject and verb. More accurate control of these patterns would strengthen the complex sentences you are already attempting.

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