Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-02

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 5.0)

Many individuals think that competition at work, at school and in daily life is a better thing, while others assume that we should try to work collectively with each other, rather than against each other. From my perspective, I completely support the idea of cooperating because it gives opportunity to acquire knowledge from each other.

On the other hand, competition is a better way to get your goals, because it gives you a reason that you should try hard to surpass that person or many other things. In addition, emulation in any category gives chance to do our ta quickly or better from others. For instance, just last couple of days me and my friend make a rivalry for getting better score in maths, due to our emulation we both try hard to cross each other and we both got high score. Competition gives a motive why people should work hard and why we should make efforts for any task.

Looking at the data in detail, the category of cooperating is more supprotive for many individuals because it provided a way to share ideas to each other or developed skills from one another. For example, just lask week our school teacher make task for making a computer assigment and she tell that its totally depends on you , whether you w

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.5
Coherence and Cohesion4.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You introduce both views and state a clear preference for cooperation, with relevant examples about competing for a maths score and completing a school computer assignment. However, the discussion is incomplete: the response ends mid-sentence (“whether you w…”) and does not explain the outcome of the cooperation example or develop your opinion beyond learning from one another. The competition argument is also repeated rather than explored in depth. The response contains 208 words, so it is 42 words below the required minimum; this limits the space available to address both sides fully. To improve, complete the essay, explain the benefits and drawbacks of each view, and support your position with a developed example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: the opening introduces the debate, and “On the other hand” and “For example” signal a shift and an illustration. The ideas are generally relevant, but progression is limited. The competition paragraph repeats that rivalry motivates effort, while the cooperation paragraph begins with “Looking at the data in detail,” which does not fit because no data is being discussed. The final paragraph is cut off, leaving the argument without a conclusion or a clear ending. Some linking phrases are also used mechanically rather than to show precise relationships. Plan one paragraph for each view, followed by a conclusion, and use transitions that accurately reflect the connection between ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some topic-related vocabulary, including “competition,” “cooperating,” “share ideas,” and “developed skills,” so the main subject is understandable. There are also attempts at less common wording, such as “emulation,” but several choices are inaccurate or unnatural and make parts of the argument harder to follow: “get your goals,” “gives a reason that you should try hard,” and “cross each other.” Spelling errors such as “supprotive,” “lask,” and “assigment” further reduce accuracy. Aim for natural collocations and check spelling carefully; for example, describe people as achieving goals, striving to outperform rivals, and learning from one another. This would make your limited but relevant vocabulary more precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, including a sentence beginning “because” and an example introduced by “For instance.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. Examples include “me and my friend make a rivalry,” “our school teacher make task,” and “she tell,” where subject–verb forms and tense are not controlled. There are also problems with articles and sentence construction, as in “gives chance” and “it gives you a reason that you should try hard.” Practise forming complete sentences with consistent past tense for past examples, correct subject–verb agreement, and appropriate articles. Proofread each sentence to ensure its clauses connect clearly.

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