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)

The growing popularity of competition at work, at school and in daily life start raising question about wheather it is a good thing or a bad. For some people, it is a good thing and a oppourtunity to grow. However, at the same time some individuals think that it has some major drawbacks. In my perspective, competition is good but when it is in limits otherwise, it is harmful for us.

On the one hand, some people find competition good and beneficial they think when we compete with others we do our work with more hardwork and sincerely. In addition to it, there is always a reason for us to work persistently and constantly. Moreover, students also compete with their classmates and try to do best than others. It also motivates other that you have to do work hard and don't give up. For instance, there is a student in our class who always get good grades and other students also start studing with more passion in order to compete with him. Consequently, the also start getting good grades and find thier role model.

Meanwhile on the other hand, some individuals think competition is a bad thing. we have to cooperate with each other and also help others to complete their tasks. This will create a harmony of brotherhood and unity. As the saying goes, "Unity is the strength". They thought in competiton we may harm to others or create hurdles and hindrances in thier path. For instance, in competitions some took it so seriously that they go below the bed and also agree to throw their opponent under the bus.

In conclusion, competition is a good think when it is under control but when it is out of control it will hurt to others. As far as I am concerned, competition is good for success. It will help you to set your goal and stick to it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You discuss both perspectives and give a clear personal view: competition can be beneficial when controlled, but harmful when excessive. The examples about a high-achieving classmate and people obstructing opponents help make the arguments relevant. However, the two sides are not developed equally: the benefits are explained through motivation and improved grades, while the cooperation argument relies mainly on unity and a vague claim that competitors may harm others. Your conclusion also shifts toward competition’s benefits without fully explaining how cooperation should balance them. To strengthen the response, explain more specifically how cooperation improves outcomes and develop your limits on competition with a concrete reason or example. The response meets the stated length requirement; the nine words copied from the prompt are excluded from the count.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. The progression from the benefits of competition to the case for cooperation is easy to follow, and examples are placed alongside the relevant points. Some linking, however, feels mechanical or confusing. “Meanwhile on the other hand” combines two contrasting signals, and “In addition to it” and “Moreover” create a list-like sequence rather than showing precise relationships between ideas. References such as “They thought” are also unclear because the reader must infer who “they” refers to. Use fewer, more purposeful transitions and name the people or ideas being referred to; this would make the connections smoother and more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of relevant vocabulary, including “persistently,” “harmony,” “unity,” and “hurdles and hindrances,” to discuss motivation and conflict. The meaning is generally understandable, but spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable and sometimes make the phrasing awkward. Examples include “wheather,” “oppourtunity,” “studing,” and “competiton”; “do our work with more hardwork” and “go below the bed” are also unnatural or unclear expressions. Some repetition of “good,” “bad,” and “competition” limits precision. Check spelling carefully and learn common collocations as complete phrases. More accurate choices such as “work more diligently” and “sabotage an opponent” would express your ideas more naturally and clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a conditional idea in “competition is good but when it is in limits otherwise, it is harmful for us” and a result clause beginning “Consequently.” The overall meaning can usually be followed, but errors in sentence structure, agreement, articles, and punctuation are frequent enough to affect fluency. For example, the opening has a singular subject with “start raising,” and “a good thing and a opportunity” has an article error. In “there is a student … who always get good grades,” the verb does not agree with its subject. The sentence beginning “we have to cooperate” also needs a capital letter after the full stop. Practise checking each sentence for a clear clause structure and subject–verb agreement, while retaining your attempts at complex forms.

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