Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-03

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 people claim that competition is a good thing in out daily life, including at work and at school. Others argue that we should be more congenial and benevolent, rather than competing against each other. Despite the benefits of mutual competition, I think little competition and more cooperation help to thrive a society.

It can be argued that competitive nature brings out the best in oneself, which helps generate a better result. When two employees are competing each other for the best outcomes, they tend to strive more, improve individually and benefit the workplace. For instance, employees tend to work hard and have a competitive nature with their colleagues to have the title of 'employee of the month'. At schools, students who race against each other to be at the top tend to show improvements in their results. However, it is better to show more cooperation than competition to have fruitful impact in the society.

Sometimes competition creates conflicts between two or more persons. These conflicts can result in enmity and divide people in groups. Human beings are social in nature and people require help from others. One may not know a few things which he or she may be able to learn from another person. This will facilitate to grow an individual even more than he or she could have by working alone. For example, if employees or students work in a group, help to eradicate each others' weaknesses, then they will easily be able to reach their organizational as well as academic goals. Similarly, people living in a society may strengthen themselves with the help of their neighbours. Therefore, people need to cooperate, along with a little bit of competition to bring out the best of their own abilities.

In conclusion, I would reiterate that people should have a competitive mind in order to perform well, but they require to cooperate more to alleviate their weaknesses and reach their goals smoothly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses both views and gives a consistent position: competition can motivate people, but cooperation should be prioritised. The examples of employees seeking an “employee of the month” title and students striving for top results support the benefits of competition, while the discussion of shared learning and neighbours helping one another develops the case for cooperation. This covers the task well, but some points are asserted more than explained. For example, the claim that competition creates conflict and “enmity” would be stronger with a specific illustration or a clearer explanation of when this happens. The conclusion also repeats the position rather than drawing together the main reasons. More balanced development and precise support would make the argument more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph presenting the case for competition, a paragraph favouring cooperation, and a conclusion. The progression is easy to follow, and signposts such as “For instance,” “However,” and “Therefore” help show how examples relate to the argument. The contrast between the two views is also clear. At times, however, links are somewhat mechanical, and the shift from the benefits of competition to the preference for cooperation within the second paragraph could be more smoothly developed. Some references, such as “This will facilitate to grow an individual,” are not fully clear, which briefly interrupts the flow. Use more precise referencing and connect each example explicitly to the point it supports.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is an adequate range of vocabulary for discussing competition and cooperation, including “strive,” “conflicts,” “weaknesses,” and “organizational as well as academic goals.” The writer also attempts less common terms such as “congenial” and “benevolent,” showing ambition. However, some choices are inaccurate or unnatural in context: “mutual competition,” “fruitful impact,” and “facilitate to grow” do not express the intended ideas naturally. “Out daily life” is also a spelling error, and “competing each other” reflects an unsuitable phrase choice. These issues do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Prefer familiar, accurate collocations over elevated words when their meaning or usage is uncertain.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex structures, including relative clauses (“which helps generate a better result”), conditional phrasing (“if employees or students work in a group”), and subordinate clauses. Meaning remains clear throughout. Some grammatical errors persist, particularly with verb patterns and prepositions: “competing each other” needs a preposition, and “This will facilitate to grow an individual” uses an incorrect construction. There are also issues with possessives and agreement in “each others' weaknesses,” while “people require help” is less natural in this context. The sentence beginning “For example, if employees or students work in a group, help to eradicate…” is structurally incomplete because it lacks a clear main clause. Check verb patterns and ensure each conditional clause is followed by a complete main clause.

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