Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-21

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)

Some people believe that competiton at work, at school and in daily life is a positive thing, while others think hold the opinion that we should try to behave friendly, instead of competing each other.

The people, who argue that competiton is a good in life and daily works, have different reasons. According to psychology, some people can perform well in hard and strict situation. They need some kind of pressure and force to keep themselves energetic to achieve their goals. For example, when some indivisuals feel some kind of burden on their mind, their concentration increases. It is because it allows them to just focus on their desires. Some people may have inferior complex, so they can't see anyone who achieve something greater than them. These kind of people might get some serious mental problems. If they cannot achieve their aims, they will spend their whole life in regretting those moments. He will remain anxious throughout his life.

A plethora of people asserts that their should not be any competition. They generally think that a person's ability or dexerity can increase considerably, if his mind is free from all kind of worries. He can concentrate entirely on his

mission, instead of paying attention to others behaviour and achievement. For example, the persons who try to cooperate to each other are more relaxed and active mentally. It does not just for certain kind of persons, but it belongs to all who are working in any field of their life.

From my point of view, the people who are not involved in any kind of competition can perform well mentally and physically. If they cannot get anything in their lives, their life will go on easily because there will be no one to recall them that they should get that.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You introduce both positions and give a clear preference for cooperation in the final paragraph, so the response is relevant to the question. However, the discussion only partially fulfils the task because the reasons are limited and not consistently explained. The competition paragraph shifts from possible benefits of pressure to the negative effects of an “inferior complex,” without clearly showing how these points support competition as a good thing. The cooperation paragraph makes a relevant point about being able to focus, but the example remains general. Your opinion is stated, yet the claim that people can perform well without competition needs a specific reason or example. Develop each side with a clear claim, explanation, and relevant illustration, and make your position consistent throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, a paragraph for each view, and a conclusion. This helps the reader identify the broad organisation. However, progression within paragraphs is uneven, and the links between ideas are sometimes unclear. In the competition paragraph, the discussion moves from pressure improving concentration to people becoming anxious if they fail, without explaining the relationship between these points. Phrases such as “For example” introduce statements that are not specific examples, while “It does not just for certain kind of persons” is difficult to connect to the preceding idea. Use clearer topic sentences and develop one point at a time; then use linking expressions only where they accurately show contrast, cause, or illustration.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You attempt a range of vocabulary, including “concentration,” “inferior complex,” “dexterity,” and “cooperate,” and the general topic is usually understandable. However, the range is not consistently controlled: several spelling errors and awkward or inaccurate word combinations make the reader pause. Examples include “competiton,” “indivisuals,” and “dexerity,” as well as “behave friendly” and “cooperate to each other.” Some choices, such as “a plethora of people,” sound overly formal for the simple meaning intended. Aim for accurate, natural collocations and check spelling carefully. Prefer straightforward expressions such as “many people argue” when they communicate your point more clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses with “when,” “because,” and “if,” which allows you to express reasons and conditions. However, the range is limited and complex structures are often faulty; errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. For example, “others think hold the opinion” combines two sentence patterns, and “A plethora of people asserts that their should not be any competition” has problems with sentence construction and the pronoun form. There are also issues with agreement and number, as in “These kind of people,” and unclear shifts between “a person,” “he,” and “they.” Practise building accurate clauses and check agreement, articles, and pronoun reference before adding complexity.

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