Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

some people think that competition at work ,at school even in daily life is good . its makes student memeory sharp and more interested to learn new things andbut in sometimes they are busy in phones and technology .they have no tym to spend with family . they gives their best to achieve goal in our life same as work place ,now this time more technology and new things to learn but sometime is harsh to see the things.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies a relevant benefit of competition: it may sharpen students’ memory, encourage learning, and motivate people to achieve goals at work. However, it does not discuss the opposing view that cooperation is preferable, and it gives no clear personal opinion, so the main parts of the task remain unaddressed. The point about phones and technology is difficult to connect to the argument, and the ideas are not explained with examples or supporting detail. The response is also substantially below the required 250 words: it contains 70 words, with 9 words copied from the prompt excluded from the count. To improve, discuss both competition and cooperation, state your position clearly, and develop each point with a relevant example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.0

There is a basic sequence of related points about competition in education and the workplace, but the response does not form a clear overall argument. It is presented as one continuous paragraph, with no introduction, separate discussion of the two views, or conclusion. Connections between ideas are often unclear: for example, the shift from students learning to being busy on phones, then having no time with family, is not explained. The linking phrase “same as work place” signals a move to another setting, but does not establish how the point relates to the previous one. Organise the response into paragraphs, give each paragraph one clear purpose, and use linking expressions to show cause, contrast, and examples.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses a small set of relevant words and phrases, including “competition,” “achieve goal,” “technology,” and “learn new things,” so the general topic can be recognised. However, the vocabulary is limited and some choices or forms make meaning unclear, such as “student memeory sharp,” “harsh to see the things,” and “more technology and new things to learn.” Spelling errors such as “memeory” and “tym” also reduce accuracy. Build a wider range of topic vocabulary and learn common collocations, for example, “improve students’ memory,” “meet a goal,” and “workplace competition.” Check spelling and choose precise phrases that express the intended idea.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to connect several ideas in longer sentences, but most sentence patterns are simple or joined without clear grammatical control. Errors in verb forms and agreement appear in “its makes student” and “they gives,” while the opening sentence has unclear construction and punctuation. The phrase “andbut in sometimes” also shows difficulty joining clauses, and the final sentence lacks a clear grammatical relationship between its parts. These problems sometimes make the intended meaning difficult to follow. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then combine them using controlled structures such as “Although competition can motivate students, cooperation helps them share ideas.” Check subject–verb agreement, sentence boundaries, and punctuation when editing.

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