Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-26

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 6.0)

Few individuals believe that competition at workplace, at school and in everyday life is a positive development because this provides self-motivation to work better than others, while many people argue that everyone should try to cooperate more, rather than competing with each other, as this fosters a friendly environment. I agree with the later view, in this essay I will discuss both views and expalin it further.

On the one hand, it is argued that competing with other enables self-motivation which leads to better outcomes in terms of academic and personal life. In other words, if any person start competing with their colleague or classmates, this fosters the determination to achieve a higher level of success. With this self-motivation they put their entire effort at the work and that leads to success. For instance, in schools, students conduct multiple exams and compete with each other to secure a better result. Therefore, students who wants to rank in top, they put more concentrate than others.

On the other hand, cooperative workplace advocates a friendly surrounding, which generate a better outcome in the long run. This is mainly because when all the employes work in a team, this might boost overall perfomance of that company. If someone works for their own gain, it might limit the chances getting of high quality work because a team can share their work and produce a more accurate outcome than a individual's work. For example, several multi-national companies are focused on building a cooperative workplace, as this structure ensure them more qualitifull work.

In conclusion, competing with others might be beneficial for personal gain by motivating themselves, however, I personally take a stand with the oposite view, as cooperating with others can produce more effective results by ensuring a friendly environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both sides of the discussion and state your position clearly: you support cooperation, while recognising that competition can motivate individuals. The examples about students trying to achieve high results and companies working in teams are relevant. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained. For instance, the school example shows that students try harder, but does not explore possible drawbacks or explain when competition is most beneficial. Likewise, the claim that cooperation produces more accurate work could be supported with a specific illustration. The conclusion restates your view, though the essay could develop the comparison between personal achievement and shared outcomes more fully. The response meets the task requirements, but some ideas are less developed than others.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The progression from competition to cooperation is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help guide the reader. This gives the response a coherent arrangement. To strengthen cohesion further, make links between claims and their explanations more precise. For example, “Therefore” introduces the result about students concentrating, but the relationship between ranking and concentration could be explained more explicitly. Some references, such as “this structure” in the company example, are understandable but could point more clearly to the specific cooperative practices being discussed. Varying the linking phrases and improving these connections would make the flow more natural and flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “self-motivation,” “determination,” “cooperative workplace,” and “overall performance.” These choices help communicate the main ideas, and the response shows some attempt to use topic-specific language. However, inaccurate word forms, spelling, and collocations are noticeable and sometimes make expressions awkward: “expalin,” “employes,” “perfomance,” and “qualitifull” are misspelled, while “friendly surrounding” and “put more concentrate” are not natural combinations. Some wording is also imprecise, such as “a better outcome” when describing the benefits of teamwork. Aim to learn vocabulary in common phrases and check spelling and word forms carefully. More precise expressions would help you explain the contrast between individual achievement and collective results.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “because,” “when,” and “which,” and most of your meaning remains clear. Some grammatical errors occur, particularly with agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries. For example, “if any person start competing” needs a singular verb, and “students who wants” should use a plural verb. In “I agree with the later view, in this essay…,” two independent clauses are joined with a comma; use a full stop or a suitable conjunction. There are also errors in “a individual's work” and “this structure ensure them,” which affect article use and agreement. Review these patterns and proofread each sentence for subject–verb agreement and punctuation. Greater accuracy across your complex sentences would improve control.

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