Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-15

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 4.0)

Some people argue that competiting at work, at school and in daily life is beneficial, while others belives that cooperating more, rather than competing is more crucial and paly a vital role in success. This essay will discuss both view before concluding that cooperating is a positive development.

On the other hand, there are several compelling reasons why people believe that competiting is advantageous. The primary argument in favour of this view is that it provides individuals with great flexibility and opportunities, which in turn leads personal motivation and higher productivity. This is because people want to grow without anyone involvement and

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response introduces the topic and gives a clear opinion that cooperation is positive, while beginning to explain why competition may be advantageous. However, it does not fulfil the main requirements: the view in favour of cooperation is not discussed, and the competition argument ends mid-sentence at “without anyone involvement and”. There is no conclusion or relevant example, so the ideas are not developed or supported. The response contains 93 words, which is 157 words below the required minimum of 250; this leaves too little space to address both views adequately. To improve, complete the competition argument, explain the benefits of cooperation, and support both sides with specific examples before restating your position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic overall direction: the opening introduces the two positions and states a preference, followed by a paragraph beginning to discuss competition. The linking phrases “while others” and “On the other hand” help signal contrast. However, the progression is incomplete because the response stops mid-sentence, and the promised discussion of both views never develops. The opening also says the essay will discuss “both view,” but only one side is started. Use separate, fully developed paragraphs for competition and cooperation, then add a conclusion. Ensure each paragraph has a clear central point and that linking expressions accurately reflect the relationship between ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response shows some topic-appropriate vocabulary, including “beneficial,” “cooperating,” “compelling reasons,” “advantageous,” “flexibility,” and “higher productivity.” These choices communicate the general subject and include attempts at more formal phrasing. However, the range is limited by the short, unfinished response, and several word-form or spelling errors reduce accuracy: “competiting,” “belives,” and “paly.” Some combinations are also unclear or unnatural, such as “leads personal motivation” and “without anyone involvement.” Aim for accurate forms and natural collocations, for example “competing,” “believe,” “increases motivation,” and “without interference from others.” Developing the essay would also allow more precise vocabulary for cooperation and its benefits.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts both a complex opening sentence and a subordinate clause: “Some people argue that … while others …” and “This is because …”. These show an effort to vary sentence structure, and the main message is generally understandable. However, control is inconsistent. In “which in turn leads personal motivation,” the verb pattern is incomplete; “leads to” is needed. “Others believes” also has a subject–verb agreement error, and “without anyone involvement” has an incorrect possessive construction. The final sentence is unfinished, so its structure cannot be assessed fully. Practise checking agreement, verb patterns, and possessives, and complete each sentence. A wider set of accurately controlled sentence forms would make the argument clearer.

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