Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Few people claim that competition at school, work and in daily life is a good thing, while others reject this notion and state that their should be cooperation, instead of competition. In the further essay I will discuss both point of view along with my own opinion.

The first and the foremost reason why many believe competition is healthy because it builds discipline and dedication among students to work hard to achieve higher grades. In addition, competition increases productivity at work which results in the growth of the company. For example, workers who compete for a higher salary or higher position work hard when compared to the ones who don't compete.

Some of the main drawbacks of competition is that it creates a sense of failure among children if other student outperform them in either sports or studies, this affects their confidence and overall thinking. Furthermore, the employees who compete for same designation develop negative feeling on each other. To illustrate, there are many cases where students feel disappointed after getting second prize even after working hard.

In conclusion, I agree that competition builds discipline and dedication in both school and work, nevertheless, children and employees feels disappointed even after working hard. In my opinion, competition should be healthy, one should work hard to achieve their goal and try to work harder than feeling disappointed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both sides by explaining that competition can encourage students to work hard and improve workplace productivity, while also describing its effects on confidence and relationships. Your conclusion gives a position, but it is not fully clear: you support competition while also warning against its emotional effects, without explaining how these views should be balanced. The ideas are relevant but brief and general; for example, the workplace example about competing for salary or promotion is asserted rather than developed. The response contains 217 words, so it is 33 words below the 250-word minimum; the eight words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Develop each view with a clearer explanation or specific example, and state your opinion more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for benefits and drawbacks, and a conclusion. Linking expressions such as “In addition,” “Furthermore,” and “To illustrate” help signal relationships between points. However, progression is somewhat mechanical, and the introduction promises discussion of both views without clearly establishing the writer’s position. The conclusion repeats earlier points rather than bringing them together into a clear final judgement. Some connections are also awkward: “nevertheless” joins ideas that are not clearly contrasted, and the final sentence’s relationship to the preceding claim is difficult to follow. Use transitions to show the precise relationship between ideas, and make the conclusion synthesise the discussion rather than restate it.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for the topic, including “discipline,” “dedication,” “productivity,” “confidence,” and “designation.” These terms help communicate the main arguments, and the meaning is generally understandable. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “their should be cooperation,” “negative feeling on each other,” and “higher position.” The repeated use of “competition,” “work hard,” and “disappointed” also limits variety. Aim for more precise, natural combinations—for example, describe employees as competing “for promotion” and developing “resentment towards one another.” Check spelling and word forms as well, including “their” where “there” is intended and “point of view” where a plural is needed.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses beginning “because,” “if,” and “even after.” This allows you to express causes and consequences, and the overall meaning is usually clear. However, errors in agreement, sentence boundaries, and clause construction recur. For example, “Some of the main drawbacks of competition is” should use a plural verb, while “other student outperform them” needs a plural noun and verb agreement. The sentence beginning “In addition, competition increases productivity…” is clear, but the long sentence about children combines several ideas with a comma splice. The conclusion also has “employees feels.” Review subject–verb agreement and divide long sentences where necessary; more accurate control of these patterns would make your ideas easier to follow.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.