Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-14

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 5.0)

Few individuals believe that rivalary at job, at school and in daily routine is a great stuff. Others think that we should attempt to collaborate more rather than pitted against one another. In my opinion, working together at same place is better than to compete each other. In this essay, i will discuss both sides and conclude with my opinion.

On one hand,supporters of competition argue that it acts as a powerfull tool for motivation and great performance. In educational environments, healthy competition between students can encourage students to work harder and in reward get good marks in exams. similarly, in private companies this type of competition happens who can work better than others get rewards and appreciation on their performance .

On the other hand, individuals who believe that cooperate with each

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You introduce both sides of the debate and state a clear preference for cooperation: “working together … is better.” The point about competition motivating students and employees is relevant, but it is only briefly explained, and the response ends just as the cooperation argument begins (“individuals who believe that cooperate with each…”). As a result, the second view is not developed, your own opinion is not supported with reasons or examples, and there is no conclusion. The response is also 117 words below the required minimum, leaving too little space to address all parts of the task. Develop each view with a reason and a specific example, then explain why cooperation is preferable and summarise that position in a conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The opening gives the reader a basic direction, and “On one hand” and “On the other hand” signal the intended contrast between the two views. The first body paragraph also stays focused on competition, moving from education to companies. However, the response has no completed second body paragraph or conclusion, so the overall progression stops before the discussion is finished. Some linking is mechanical, and the transition into the second view is cut off. Build a clear sequence of introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion. Within paragraphs, connect each claim to its explanation or example, and use referencing and linking phrases to show how ideas relate rather than relying only on formulaic signposts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt topic-related vocabulary, including “motivation,” “performance,” “collaborate,” and “appreciation,” which helps communicate the general subject. However, the range is limited and several choices or collocations are inaccurate, making some phrases awkward: “rivalary at job,” “a great stuff,” and “pitted against one another” do not express the ideas naturally in this context. There are also spelling and form errors, such as “rivalary” and “powerfull.” Aim for precise, conventional expressions for workplace and educational competition, and check spelling and word forms. For example, use “competition in the workplace” and “a positive thing” rather than the less natural phrases in the introduction.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes some simple and complex sentence attempts, such as the opening contrast and the sentence explaining how competition may motivate students. However, control is uneven, and errors sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. Examples include “we should attempt to collaborate more rather than pitted against one another,” where the structures after “rather than” do not match, and “who can work better than others get rewards,” which lacks a clear grammatical connection between the clauses. There are also article, agreement, and punctuation problems, including “at same place,” “On one hand,supporters,” and the lowercase “i.” Practise building complete clauses and parallel comparisons, then proofread sentence boundaries, articles, and capitalisation.

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