Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-28

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)

Certain individuals 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 with each other. Both of these views are right in their own ways, like competition could increase producivity and improve results while cooperation would foster a reliable workplace and positive relations with other people.

To begin,competition at work would keep the emplyees motivated as they would be competing on who produce results more effectively and efficiently. For instance a person working in a manufacturing company would most likely compete with his coworkers on the basis of number of goods produced thus he/she will most likely try to produce more. At school however children tend to compete over grades so they study hard in order to get grades and stay competitive among their peers. As for daily life people most of the time compete with either their siblings or friends in regards to who earns more or less, making them try to earn more.

Cooperation however is something entirely different, when people tend to cooperate they become reliable for the other person this also helps generate effective results, as at work people would ask for/ give help, making work easier and thus having less stress. Just like that cooperation also fosters positive relations among people as they would be helping each other out, like two students who help or cooperate with each other could potentially become friends.

Thus in my opinion, there should be a balance of both like competition should be there to fuel progress however when a person sees another one struggling they should hold back from cooperating with them.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response discusses both competition and cooperation and gives a personal view: the opening says both have value, and the conclusion recommends a balance. The examples of workplace output, school grades and help between students are relevant. However, the discussion is only partly developed. The daily-life example focuses narrowly on earning more, while the benefits and possible drawbacks of competition are not explored in much depth. The final recommendation is also unclear: saying people should “hold back from cooperating” when someone struggles appears to contradict the earlier case for cooperation. Clarify the conditions for balancing the two approaches and explain each main point with a more specific consequence or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The essay has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views and a concluding opinion. Sequencing phrases such as “To begin” and “Thus” help signal the stages of the response. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, and links between ideas are not always clear. The opening lists several benefits without establishing a precise line of argument, while “Just like that” is an informal and imprecise transition. The final sentence also creates a confusing link between the recommendation to balance competition and cooperation and the suggestion to withhold cooperation. Use clearer topic sentences, connect each example explicitly to its point, and make the conclusion follow consistently from the discussion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary is sufficient to discuss the topic, and phrases such as “competing,” “motivated,” “efficiently,” “reliable workplace” and “positive relations” show some useful range. However, the response relies on repeated general words such as “people,” “work,” “help” and “results,” which limits precision. Some choices are awkward or imprecise, including “competing on who produce results” and “compete over grades”; spelling errors such as “producivity” and “emplyees” are also noticeable. Aim for more precise collocations and check spelling carefully. For example, describe employees as “competing to achieve better results,” and use “academic performance” or “grades” in a more natural sentence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts both simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “as,” “while” and “when,” so there is some structural variety. However, control is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make relationships between ideas harder to follow. Examples include “who produce results” instead of “who produces results,” “a person … they” with unclear agreement, and the run-on construction “Cooperation however is something entirely different, when people tend to cooperate…”. Commas are also missing after introductory phrases, and several sentences join independent ideas without suitable punctuation. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries, and use a full stop or semicolon where a sentence currently runs on.

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