Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-27

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)

Many Individuals assume that rivalry in day to day life is a outstanding thing. Contemporaries trust that we should attempt to cooperate more, rather than competing opposed to each other.

Overall, there are several advantages to rivalry because it can take you to a higher position you never thought of reaching. But others wants to attempt cooperation with each other cause it can bring out the best part of each individual by pointing out the weakness.

On one hand, children can aspire to be better if they have motivation or inspiration by their classmate to do better than the other by surpassing them on their weak part. So, if we take note and try to achieve the goal that other struggle than it can be a boost to all other so that they can also obtain a achievement that can bring out the fire in them. In this way this competition can be applied to all workplace of life if we put our heart and mind to it.

On the other hand, rather than competing against one another if we share our ideas to reach a certain goal that is not easy to achieve without the help from another. Also The need for finishing the work which was tasked by the company will be delayed if we don't attempt to solve this issue with ease. So in order to make the world a better place we should all come together and be creative towards each others plans to prosper a future that will shine brighter than before.

Conclusion, rivalry and cooperation have their unique ways to get individuals pumped up for the exciting aspects of life that will come after a while.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You discuss both competition and cooperation, and your opening and conclusion show that you recognise their different benefits. However, the task asks for a clear, developed opinion, and your own position remains uncertain: the introduction reports what people believe, while the conclusion says both approaches have value without stating which you favour or how they should be balanced. The competition paragraph gives a relevant example involving classmates, but the explanation is difficult to follow and does not show clearly how this benefit applies beyond school. The cooperation paragraph mentions shared ideas and workplace tasks, yet these points are asserted rather than supported with a specific example. Develop each view with a clear reason and illustration, then state and maintain your own judgement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The signposts “On one hand” and “On the other hand” help readers identify the contrast. However, progression within paragraphs is uneven, and some links between ideas are unclear. For example, the competition paragraph moves from classmates’ motivation to “the goal that other struggle” and then to workplaces without explaining the connection. The cooperation paragraph similarly shifts from sharing ideas to delayed company work and then to making the world better. Some linking phrases, such as “So” and “In this way,” are used mechanically. Organise each body paragraph around one main claim, followed by a clear explanation and example, and make references between sentences more explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of vocabulary related to the topic, including “rivalry,” “cooperate,” “motivation,” “surpassing,” and “achieve.” This gives you some ability to discuss both sides, but several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, sometimes making the intended meaning harder to understand. For instance, “a outstanding thing” and “bring out the best part” do not express your ideas naturally, while “prosper a future” is an awkward combination. “Contemporaries” is also not an appropriate substitute for people who hold a particular view. Aim for accurate, natural phrases rather than choosing formal-sounding words that do not fit the context. Reusing a few precise terms such as “competition,” “teamwork,” and “shared goals” would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including conditional and subordinate structures, as in “if we share our ideas to reach a certain goal.” However, control is inconsistent, and errors in agreement, articles, verb forms, and sentence construction occur often enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. Examples include “others wants,” “a achievement,” and “the goal that other struggle.” The sentence beginning “So, if we take note…” is especially hard to interpret because its clauses do not connect clearly. Punctuation and capitalisation also need attention, as in “Also The need.” Practise building accurate sentences around one main idea, checking subject–verb agreement and singular/plural forms, and then add subordinate clauses once the basic structure is secure.

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