Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Some individuals believe that competiting at work, school and daily life is beneficial while others argue that cooperation is preferrable to competition. Competition often leads to mastery but the downside is may result in hatred. I firmly believe that cooperation is better than competition because it reduces workload, burnout and make work faster.

On the one hand, competition result in mastery of a subject of concern because there would be an intense feeling to be the best and an individual will put more effort and energy. The disadvantage of competition is that it may breed unhealthy or toxic work environment, where people do not like one another and there is always an unspoken threat which could be felt and this leads to hatred and disharmony. I could remember when I hated a classmate in secondary because she never allowed be to take the first position and till date our relationship is still strained. The effect of competition is not always palatable.

On the other hand, every social environments which includes workplace and schools should be threat free because people spend most of their days at work, hence is cooperation is needed at work rather than competition.

Cooperation makes work faster and easier because employees work as teammate, working towards achieving a particular goal. This also reduces burnout, stress and workload that would have been bore if it was just a person carrying out the activity. Working together most times breeds harmony and loyalty, employees sees themselves as a family not as a rival.

In conclusion, competiting at work, school and daily life is a good thing if it does not breed unhealthy and toxic social environment, although competition often leads to mastery. I firmly believe that cooperation is better than competition because it reduces workload, burnout and make work faster.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You discuss both perspectives and state a consistent preference for cooperation, so the main parts of the task are addressed. The competition paragraph explains that striving to excel can lead to mastery, and the personal example of your classmate illustrates how rivalry can damage relationships. The cooperation paragraph also gives relevant benefits, including shared effort and reduced stress. However, the two views are not developed equally: the case for competition is mainly about academic achievement, while the benefits of cooperation are asserted more than explained. The conclusion also introduces a qualification—that competition can be good if it avoids a toxic environment—without exploring how this fits with your preference. Develop each argument with a clearer explanation or example and make that qualification more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Signposts such as “On the one hand,” “On the other hand,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the discussion. The main ideas within each paragraph are generally relevant and connected. However, some links feel mechanical, and the progression within the cooperation paragraph is less smooth: the opening sentence about threat-free environments is difficult to follow before the paragraph moves to faster work and reduced burnout. The conclusion largely repeats the introduction rather than bringing the discussion together. Improve cohesion by making the relationship between each claim and its explanation explicit, and use clearer referencing so that phrases such as “This also reduces burnout” have an unmistakable connection to the preceding point.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “mastery,” “toxic work environment,” “burnout,” “workload,” and “harmony.” These choices help communicate the contrast between rivalry and teamwork, and the personal example is expressed clearly. There are also some inaccurate word forms, spelling, and collocations that limit precision, such as “competiting,” “preferrable,” “threat free,” and “the effect … is not always palatable.” “Social environments” and “employees sees themselves as a family” also show that some expressions are not used naturally or consistently. Aim for more precise, conventional phrasing and check spelling and word forms. For example, “competition” and “preferable” are the correct forms, while “a hostile atmosphere” would express the intended idea more naturally than “an unspoken threat.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “because,” “where,” and “although,” and the overall meaning is usually clear. Some sentence patterns are controlled, such as “Competition often leads to mastery,” but errors in verb forms, agreement, and sentence construction recur. Examples include “competition result,” “cooperation … make work faster,” “employees sees,” and “the workload … that would have been bore.” The sentence beginning “On the other hand, every social environments…” also has problems with number agreement and clause structure, making the point harder to follow. Work on matching subjects and verbs, forming passive constructions correctly, and proofreading longer sentences. Greater accuracy in these areas would make your complex ideas easier to read.

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