Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-22

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 7.0)

There is an ongoing debate between the merits of competition and cooperation across education, work and daily lifestyle. While some individuals argue that competition is essential for excellence and individual growth, other said that a cooperative mindset gives better personal outcomes. In my opinion, both play an important roles, but working together should be our main focus, while friends competition should be used to give new ideas.

On one hand, competition is great for motivation. When you want to win or be the best, you work much harder. For example, in a company sales competition can make employees work faster and think of clever ideas. In school, sports and grades teach kids how to work hard and how to handle losing. Without competition, people might get lazy because they do not have a strong reason to push themselves.

On the other hand, working together builds teamwork and keeps people happy. Most big projects, like building a computer or running a hospital, need a group of people working as a team. If an office is too competitive, it becomes a stressful and unhappy place where people do not trust each other. Helping each other reduces stress and makes sure that nobody get left behind. In my view, we need a balance of both. A place with no competition can be boring, but a place with too much competition can be cruel.The best way is to work together as a team toward a big goal, but have small, friendly games to keep things exciting. For example, students can study together in groups, but play a fun quiz game against each other to practice.

In conclusion, competition is good for making individuals work harder, but cooperation is necessary for long-term success and happiness. We should focus on teamwork first, but use friendly competition to keep life exciting.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses both perspectives and maintains a clear position: cooperation should be the main focus, with friendly competition used as a supplement. Relevant examples support the discussion, including sales contests, school sports and grades, and teamwork in hospitals or large projects. The explanation of competition’s motivational value is clear, and the risks of an overly competitive workplace are also identified. To strengthen the response further, develop some claims with more precise reasoning: for instance, explain how cooperation improves the quality or reliability of a project, rather than mainly saying it keeps people happy. The final recommendation is relevant, though the distinction between “friends competition” and friendly competition could be expressed more clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall progression: the introduction presents the debate and position, the body paragraphs discuss each view, and the conclusion restates the main argument. Paragraphing is appropriate, and signposts such as “On one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the discussion. Examples are generally placed where they support the relevant point. Some connections between ideas could be smoother, however. The transition from the cooperation discussion to “In my view, we need a balance of both” occurs within the same paragraph and could be signalled more clearly as the writer’s evaluation. Also, the sentence beginning “The best way” runs directly after “cruel” without a space or clear punctuation. More varied referencing and transitions would make the progression feel less formulaic.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for discussing the topic, and the response uses some relevant expressions such as “individual growth,” “teamwork,” “long-term success,” and “push themselves.” These choices communicate the main ideas clearly, and the writer shows some ability to discuss both benefits and drawbacks. However, several phrases are imprecise or unnatural, including “daily lifestyle,” “other said,” “friends competition,” and “a place with no competition can be boring.” The last example is understandable but broad and informal for an academic essay. Aim for more accurate collocations and a slightly more formal register, such as “everyday life,” “others argue,” and “friendly competition.” Greater precision in describing outcomes—rather than relying on general terms such as “great” and “happy”—would add flexibility and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and more complex structures, including a concession in “While some individuals argue…” and conditional sentences such as “If an office is too competitive, it becomes…”. Most sentences are easy to understand, and the ideas remain clear despite some errors. There are several issues with agreement and sentence construction: “other said” should be “others say,” “both play an important roles” should be “both play important roles,” and “nobody get left behind” should be “nobody gets left behind.” The opening sentence of the final body section also needs clearer punctuation between “cruel” and “The best way.” To move beyond this level, check subject–verb agreement and articles/plurals carefully, and use a wider range of complex structures while maintaining accuracy.

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