Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-01

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 6.5)

Many individuals believe that being competitive at office, at school and in daily life is a healthy habit, while others contend that people should be more cooperative, instead of being competitive. I strongly agree with the latter point as cooperation improves communication and relationship, whereas competition causes a detrimental effect on mental health.

On the one hand, it is widely argued that competition is a good thing at school and work environments. Though it challenges to improve ones skills, it affects individuals' mental health significantly. There will always be someone who possess immense natural talent and ability that cannot be easily competed with and will often result in disappointment. Futhermore, this distress will reduce people's self-esteem and self-confidence drastically. It is better for an individual to learn skills at their own pace while being competive with themselves. For example, being self-competitive is far more practical to improve abilities, than challenging with people at work or school.

On the other hand, cooperation among people enhances interaction and relationship. When individuals work as a team and communicate, they can brainstorm ideas that leads to innovation and allows them solve complex problems quickly. This will indeed foster learning for everyone present in the group. Futhermore, cooperation creates stronger bonds and friendship among individuals which will be essential in future for life and emotional support. For instance, cooperation at various stages of life builds a larger network, which is the key for securing jobs in today's competitive world.

In conclusion, though some people claim that being competitive is a good thing, it affects their mental health considerably. I largely agree that cooperation and coordination at different stages of life will improve individuals' communication and friendship.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both views and state a clear position in the introduction: you favour cooperation because it supports relationships and mental health. The body paragraphs also give relevant reasons and examples, including the pressure of competing with naturally talented people and the benefits of teamwork for solving problems. This meets the task well, and the explanation of cooperation is particularly clear. However, the case for competition is presented mainly through its disadvantages, so its potential benefits—such as motivating people to improve or raising standards—are not really explained. Some supporting points, such as cooperation helping people secure jobs, would also benefit from a clearer link to your main argument. Develop both sides more evenly and extend examples to strengthen the discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion that restates your position. Signposting with “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” makes the progression easy to follow. Within paragraphs, ideas generally move from a claim to an explanation or example. However, the repeated use of “Furthermore” and “For example” makes some linking feel mechanical, and the relationship between a few points could be made more explicit. For instance, the link between cooperation building a network and that network helping people secure jobs is asserted rather than explained. Use a wider range of transitions and clearer references between claims and supporting details to make cohesion more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “self-esteem,” “brainstorm ideas,” “innovation,” and “emotional support.” These choices help communicate the main points, and you attempt some less common expressions. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “competitive at office,” “challenges to improve ones skills,” and “challenging with people.” There are also spelling errors, including “Futhermore” and “competive,” which reduce accuracy. Some wording is repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “cooperation” and “individuals.” Aim for more natural collocations and check spelling carefully; greater precision would make your arguments sound more fluent and controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a contrast structure in the opening sentence and clauses beginning with “Though” and “When.” Most meaning remains clear, and the sentence patterns allow you to explain causes and results. Some grammatical errors remain, however. For example, “ones skills” needs a possessive apostrophe, “someone who possess” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “allows them solve” is missing “to.” In “ideas that leads,” the verb should agree with the plural noun “ideas.” There are also article and plural issues in phrases such as “improves communication and relationship.” Review agreement, infinitive patterns, and articles, while continuing to use varied sentence structures.

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