Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Predictions Nov 2026 · 2026-11-10

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people think that taking part in team sports such as football is more beneficial, while others think individual sports such as tennis and swimming are more beneficial.

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)

There has been considerable debate over whether team sports or individual sports is more beneficial these days. While many people believe that playing team sports such as football are significantly advantageous, others feel sports like tennis and swimming are more beneficial. This essay will discuss both perspectives and I strongly believe that team sports have siginificant benefits because of its poularity and unity.

On the one hand, playing sports in a team including football and cricket provides a significant number of benefits due to its team environment. Firstly, team sports create a strong unity among all athletes, which can lead them to obtain a better outcome for their country. If the team has a strong bonding, they can achieve their goal to represent their country. For instance, Bangladesh has been playing cricket since 19s, and

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The opening identifies both sides of the debate and gives a clear preference for team sports, so the response begins to address the task. However, the discussion is only started: the team-sport point about unity is briefly explained, while the individual-sports view is not developed at all, and the example about Bangladesh ends unfinished. The response therefore does not provide the reasons, relevant examples, or balanced discussion needed to answer all parts. It also falls 115 words short of the required minimum, which leaves too little space to develop the argument. To improve, explain a benefit of individual sports, extend each main point with a specific example, and finish with a conclusion that restates your view.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a recognisable structure: an introductory paragraph followed by a body paragraph, and signposts such as “On the one hand” and “Firstly” help show the intended direction. The ideas within the body paragraph also follow a basic cause-and-effect sequence, from team participation to unity and then to a possible outcome. However, the response stops mid-example (“and”), so the progression is incomplete, and there is no paragraph presenting the other view or a conclusion. The reference in “they can achieve their goal” is also somewhat general. Build a complete sequence of paragraphs for both perspectives and your opinion, and use linking phrases to show how each example supports its point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses a reasonably varied set of topic-related vocabulary, including “considerable debate,” “advantageous,” “unity,” and “represent their country.” These choices show an attempt to move beyond very basic wording, and the main meaning is generally clear. However, some spelling errors—“siginificant” and “poularity”—are noticeable, while phrases such as “strong bonding” and “obtain a better outcome” are not fully natural in this context. The repeated use of “beneficial,” “team,” and “sports” also limits flexibility. Aim for accurate spelling and more natural collocations, such as “build strong team bonds” and “achieve better results,” and use a wider range of precise terms for individual-sport benefits.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a contrast clause beginning “While many people believe…” and a conditional sentence, “If the team has a strong bonding, they can achieve their goal.” Most sentences are understandable, but agreement errors are present: “team sports … is more beneficial” and “playing team sports … are significantly advantageous” do not match their plural subjects. The pronoun in “because of its popularity and unity” is also unclear in reference. The final sentence is incomplete, which prevents the example from being expressed as a complete grammatical unit. Check subject–verb agreement, make pronoun references explicit, and proofread each sentence to ensure it is complete.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.