Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-29

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)

People hold differing views regarding whether competition at workplace, at school and in daily life is beneficial or co-operation is more effective. While both perspectives have their merits, I believe that co-opearation bring more positive outcome because people can learn different valuable skills.

To begin with, those who support competition tend to argue that it can motivate people to work harder. This is because people may want to achieve their goals before their competitors. As a result, they may focus on their own goals, stay motivated and try to fulfill their ambitions. For example, when people see others making rapid progress, they tend to have a strong desire and work harder. This can not only help gain valuable experience but also help increase their confidence and make self independent. Consequently, they gain more experiences by exploring new ways of learning.

Turning to the opposing view, who hold this position tend to argue that co-operation is more necessary because it helps people learn essential skills. This is because people gain more knowledge as well as relevant skills when they work, study or play with others. Through collaboration, people can develop communication skills, problem-solving skills and teamwork. For example, people who work with their collegues and help each other, they may develop how to share ideas and work with others. As a result, they may better results for their company. By developing these skills, people may get better job opportunities in the future. This can not only help them learn key skills but also help them learn from others.

In conclusion, while both views have their own benefits, I believe that co-operation is plays an important role in peoples lives because it helps them learn basic skills.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both sides and state a consistent preference for cooperation, so the main task is addressed. The competition paragraph gives a relevant reason—motivation—and explains possible benefits such as confidence and experience. The cooperation paragraph also identifies useful skills and workplace benefits. However, the discussion remains general, and some points are asserted rather than clearly explained: for instance, the link between cooperation and “better job opportunities” is not developed, while the example about colleagues does not show a specific outcome. Your conclusion repeats your position but does not bring the comparison together. To strengthen the response, explain more fully when competition is useful and why cooperation is ultimately more beneficial, using a specific example for each view.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion. Topic signposting such as “To begin with” and “Turning to the opposing view” helps readers follow the discussion, and the ideas generally progress within each paragraph. However, the repeated “This is because,” “As a result,” and “This can not only…” patterns make the linking somewhat mechanical. Some references are also unclear, particularly “who hold this position,” which follows “the opposing view” rather than referring clearly to people. The example about colleagues contains a sentence that does not connect smoothly to its result. Use a wider range of transitions and make each example’s cause-and-effect relationship explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “competitors,” “ambitions,” “collaboration,” “problem-solving skills,” and “teamwork.” These choices allow you to discuss both workplace competition and cooperation. However, the range is somewhat repetitive, with frequent use of “skills,” “help,” and “people,” and several word-choice or collocation problems reduce naturalness. For example, “make self independent” and “gain more experiences” are not idiomatic in this context, while “better results for their company” needs a clearer expression. There are also spelling errors in “co-opearation” and “collegues.” Aim for more precise topic vocabulary and check spelling and common word partnerships during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including subordinate clauses with “because” and “when,” and the meaning is generally understandable. Some sentences are controlled, such as “This is because people may want to achieve their goals before their competitors.” However, errors in agreement, verb forms, and sentence construction recur. In the introduction, “co-operation bring” should have a singular verb; in the conclusion, “co-operation is plays” combines two verb forms incorrectly. The sentence “people who work with their colleagues and help each other, they may develop…” also has a faulty structure, and “they may better results” is missing a verb. Practise checking each clause for a clear subject and correctly formed verb, while retaining your attempts at complex sentences.

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