Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-16

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 6.5)

Many individuals believe that competitiveness in everyday life is a good thing to have, whether it is at work or at school. Other people feel that we should cooperate with each other and not compete. I believe that competition in life is very important to succeed in life.

People who know what healthy competition can do for you in your life will always lean towards it. People grow a lot when put in a competitive environment. Healthy competition at work helps the firm, and in school, students perform better when there is a rival student. To be better than your competition is what makes you move forward even on the days you do not want to. For instance, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi became the best players in the world, as they both pushed each other daily. The competition between them did not give either a break. They needed to be at their absolute best to be considered as the best player in the world. At one point, both were tied at five Ballon d'Ors each. The healthy competition between them inspired the whole generation.

The cooperation between people is also necessary. People who are not necessarily God-gifted can still compete with individuals who are born with God-given talent due to cooperation. Cooperation with each other is a key to success. Many companies that have succeeded require the cooperation of different departments. For instance, a firm needs its workers and IT staff to cooperate to function well. One without the other cannot maintain a high level of performance. Leicester City did not have world-class players in their team in the [redacted phone] season, but they won due to their teamwork. The Premier League was won by a team that was fighting to avoid relegation a season before. All it took them was to play as a team.

I believe that competition is an essential part of life, as it pushes you to be better. Even while gaming, a good player pushes me to perform better to win. I believe that competition lets you strive to be better.

In conclusion, healthy competition pushes you to be better. The cooperation between people can help them compete against the best. However, I side with people who believe that healthy competition in daily life is a good thing.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both views and state a consistent preference for competition, so the response meets the main requirements of the task. The discussion of competition is supported with the Ronaldo–Messi example, while the Leicester City example gives a relevant illustration of cooperation. These examples make the argument accessible, and your conclusion restates your position. However, the two sides are not developed equally: the cooperation paragraph mainly explains how teamwork helps a group succeed, rather than exploring why people may prefer cooperation over competition. The claim that cooperation lets people without natural talent compete is also asserted more than explained. To strengthen the response, clarify the benefits and limits of each approach and connect each example directly to the view it supports.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for competition and cooperation, a paragraph stating your opinion, and a conclusion. The progression is easy to follow, and examples are generally placed alongside the relevant point. You also use linking expressions such as “For instance,” “However,” and “In conclusion.” At times, though, the connections feel repetitive or mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “I believe” and “For instance.” The final opinion paragraph largely repeats the introduction and conclusion rather than advancing the discussion. Some references could also be clearer: “All it took them was to play as a team” follows several references to Leicester City and its players. Use more varied transitions and make each paragraph add a distinct step to the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for discussing the topic, and you use relevant terms such as “competitive environment,” “cooperation,” “teamwork,” and “performance.” These choices help communicate the main ideas clearly, and the sports examples give the essay specific language to work with. However, several expressions are repetitive or imprecise, including “better” and “good thing,” while “God-gifted” and “God-given talent” are awkward and informal for this academic discussion. Phrases such as “the whole generation” are also broad and would benefit from more precise wording. To move beyond a generally adequate range, use more varied terms for motivation, collaboration, and achievement, and check that collocations sound natural in formal writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, and most sentences communicate their meaning without difficulty. For example, “People grow a lot when put in a competitive environment” uses a concise subordinate structure, while the examples include longer sentences with clauses. Some grammatical and punctuation issues remain. In “People who are not necessarily God-gifted can still compete with individuals who are born with God-given talent due to cooperation,” the relationship between the clauses is difficult to follow; restructuring it would make the meaning clearer. “All it took them was to play as a team” also has an awkward grammatical construction; “All they had to do was play as a team” is clearer. Review sentence patterns and punctuation, especially in longer sentences, while continuing to use varied structures.

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