Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

In current world as every field is advancing and there are alot of challenges in each field. In coorporate sector each of the individual tries to outstand his performance so he gets the recognition and this starts very early during their education everyone wants to be in the hall of fame and to achieve more than their fellow classmates. On one hand this competition among the peers boosts their productivity and on the other hand it can initiate a rivalary and the sense that there success is in others defeat. while both have their own advantages and disadvantages. I think the opposite way if they try not to compete and help each other that can benefit alot.

Offcourse a healthy competetion can make people put extra efforts to perform well in their relevant fields which is a good thing in itself and the

people can learn from them and come with another beneficial approach which is a goodthing in itself. for example if there is a business which provides a service his competitor will always try to make his services more accessible and easy so thathe can grab the customers from the former one.

This adds up to th consumer values.

but there can be a another way as well like if the former business try to collaborate and appreciate everyones good practices and identify their weakness and work upon them this can also add to consumer value. in this way they do not need to compete with each other and can expand their business.

So to sum it up I would say although healthy competition can make the services better but working together can make it more peacful and enjoyable for customers as well as businesses as well.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both competition and cooperation and give a clear preference for working together, especially in the conclusion: “working together can make it more peaceful and enjoyable.” The business example also gives a relevant reason why competition may improve services. However, the discussion is uneven: competition receives a more concrete example, while cooperation is mainly described as businesses sharing good practices, without explaining how this would work or what challenges it might involve. The opening mentions school and work, but the response does not develop those settings. To strengthen the response, explain both views in comparable depth and support your opinion with a more specific example or consequence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has an introduction, separate discussion of competition and cooperation, and a concluding summary, so the reader can identify its broad structure. However, progression within paragraphs is not always clear. The opening combines several ideas in one long sequence, and the transition “while both have their own advantages and disadvantages” does not clearly connect to the following opinion. Linking phrases such as “on one hand,” “but,” and “so to sum it up” help signal direction, but some are used mechanically, and references such as “them” and “this” are not always precise. Use clearer topic sentences, divide the opening into manageable sentences, and make each paragraph develop one main point in a logical order.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “productivity,” “recognition,” “collaborate,” and “consumer value,” and the business example shows an attempt to discuss the issue in specific terms. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “outstand his performance,” “the former one,” and “adds up to the consumer values.” Spelling errors—including “coorporate,” “rivalary,” and “peacful”—also make the writing less controlled. Aim for more precise expressions and check spelling carefully; for example, describe a competitor as improving its service to attract customers rather than “grab” them from another business.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex structures, including a contrast with “On one hand … on the other hand” and a conditional idea beginning “if the former business try to collaborate.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors sometimes make relationships between ideas difficult to follow. The opening is a sentence fragment, while “everyone wants … and to achieve” shifts awkwardly in structure. There are also agreement and article errors, as in “a another way” and “the former business try,” alongside inconsistent capitalisation and punctuation after sentence boundaries. Practise building shorter, complete sentences first, then combine them accurately using conjunctions. Check subject–verb agreement, articles, and sentence endings during revision.

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