Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Joining different competitions at work, school and in daily life whether it is academic or sports has a great impact in enhancing one's skills. It is also an opportunity to showcase the talents, knowledge and particular skills of each individual. While some people think that competition is beneficial in our lives, others believe that cooperation with the team is much better. In my opinion, I firmly agree that it is better to cooperate and collaborate, rather than competing against each other.

One of the major reasons is that competition at school will add pressure to the students. For instance, if the smartest learner of the class competes with the average and slow learners, their parents will compare them to those students who are achievers and fast learners. As a result, students will be pressured, and it will affect their mental health. Morever, students are not motivated to attend the classes for the reason that, they are left behind eventhough they put forth effort to study and accomplish all the tasks.

On the other hand, cooperation and collaboration within the work place will make the work easier. For example, if the two employees help and assist each other, the given tasks will finish on time. Consequently, the work area will be a stress-free environment where workers enjoy working while building rapport to each other.

In conclusion, I believe that competition in any form of life is not necessary as it does not give good outcomes to anyone. Instead of competiting against each other, it is more productive if people will help each other accomplishing tasks and resolving problems.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you favour cooperation, and the essay gives relevant reasons, especially the pressure competition may create for students and the practical benefits of employees helping one another. However, the two views are not discussed equally. The case for competition is mentioned in the introduction through skill development and showcasing talent, but it is not developed in a body paragraph with reasons or an example. The cooperation argument is also illustrated mainly through one workplace scenario, while the conclusion makes a broad claim that competition “does not give good outcomes to anyone.” To strengthen the response, explain a genuine benefit of competition, then develop your preferred view with more specific support and a more qualified conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, separate paragraphs on school competition and workplace cooperation, and a conclusion. The progression is easy to follow, and signposts such as “For instance,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help readers recognise the stages of the argument. This is a solid organisational foundation. At times, however, the linking is somewhat mechanical, and the contrast between the two views is not fully developed because the competition paragraph focuses on disadvantages rather than presenting the opposing case. Some connections are also awkward, such as “For the reason that” and “Consequently” introducing ideas whose relationship could be expressed more directly. Use clearer links between claims and explanations, and develop each paragraph around one fully connected line of reasoning.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “showcase,” “mental health,” “stress-free environment,” and “building rapport.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and you attempt some less common expressions. However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “Joining different competitions,” “the work will finish on time,” and “rapport to each other.” There are also spelling or word-form slips such as “Morever” and “competiting.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim to use familiar collocations accurately—for example, employees can “complete tasks on time” and “build rapport with one another”—and proofread spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional example beginning “if the two employees help and assist each other” and a result clause introduced by “As a result.” Most sentences remain understandable, and the errors rarely obscure your meaning. Some grammatical patterns are not controlled consistently, however. In “the given tasks will finish on time,” the task is not the agent that finishes; a passive form such as “the tasks will be completed on time” is needed. The sentence beginning “Morever” also has an awkward clause connection, and “if people will help each other” uses an unsuitable verb form after “if.” Practise accurate conditional structures, passive constructions, and sentence boundaries while retaining your attempts at complex sentences.

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