Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-20

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)

I agree that competition at work, at school and in daily life is a good thing as it keeps one's life interesting however people do believe that we should try to cooperate more, rather than competing against each other.

It is necessary to have competition in life or else one would be bored to death because on daily basis there would be a loop in which we will be stuck. Having the same routine, same things to do with the same people, how long can one go like this. This is where competition comes in, to spice things up in one's life either that be work or school or daily life as long as it is healthy and is not harming anyone. When you achieve something in school amongst your peers, when your boss appreciates you infront of your coworkers and when you simply win in life, that moment of satisfaction is unimaginable. It is hard to explain that in words but it's a feeling and once you get a hang of it, you're on a roll. It's kind of like an addiction just healthy where you want to keep winning. You wake up, you're excited to begin the day, win something and suddenly your life has a meaning and a purpose.

However, contrary to that people believe that cooperation is neccessary than competition. When you're so addicted to having a competition sometimes one just forgets the simple things in life. Not everything has to become a competition, simply doing a task with your team and evenly distributing the credit is also fun. This way everyone is happy and the task is also completed. Rather than showing someone down, you actually help them by cooperating and that is grants you satisfaction. It should be small wins that keeps you going one day at a time. This way you're not only keeping your lifestyle healthy but also focusing on your mental health.

In my opinion, there is no harm in having fun competition in life as long as things are kept minimal and no harm is involved. It keeps you on your toes and life becomes exciting rather than the same old daily routine.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both sides of the question and state your position clearly: you support competition when it is healthy and limited. The discussion of competition includes relevant examples from school and work, such as achieving among peers and being appreciated by a boss. You also explain how cooperation can help a team complete a task and share credit. However, the two views are not developed equally: the benefits of competition receive much more explanation, while the case for cooperation is brief and general. Some claims, such as competition giving life “a meaning and a purpose,” would be stronger with a specific example or a clearer explanation. Develop the cooperation argument further and make the comparison between the views more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a clear overall shape: an opening position, a paragraph supporting competition, a contrasting paragraph on cooperation, and a concluding opinion. “However” and “In my opinion” help signal the shift between ideas. Within paragraphs, though, the progression is sometimes loose: the competition paragraph moves from routine to achievement, addiction, and purpose without clearly linking each point. Several sentences also run together, particularly the opening sentence, which needs clearer punctuation. Repeated references to “life” and “competition” make the flow feel less controlled. Use topic sentences to establish each paragraph’s main point, then connect examples directly to that point and vary your linking expressions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to discuss both sides, including phrases such as “distributing the credit,” “cooperating,” and “mental health.” The language is generally understandable, but the range is limited by repeated everyday wording such as “things,” “fun,” “life,” and “win.” Some expressions are informal or imprecise for an academic essay, including “bored to death,” “spice things up,” and “on a roll.” There are also word-choice and spelling problems: “infront” should be “in front,” and “neccessary” should be “necessary.” Aim for more precise terms when describing outcomes, such as motivation, achievement, collaboration, and well-being, while avoiding conversational idioms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including conditional phrasing (“as long as it is healthy”) and contrast (“Rather than showing someone down…”). Meaning is usually clear, but some sentence-boundary, agreement, and punctuation errors remain. The opening sentence joins two independent clauses with no suitable punctuation before “however.” In “It should be small wins that keeps you going,” the plural subject requires “keep.” The sentence beginning “Having the same routine…” is a fragment, and “that is grants you satisfaction” contains an unnecessary verb. Review sentence boundaries and subject–verb agreement, and check each sentence for a complete main clause. More accurate control of these patterns would make your varied structures easier to follow.

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