Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-06

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people believe that international sports events, such as The Olympics or the Football World Cup, are a good way to bring countries together. Others say that these events create competition, not friendship, between countries.

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)

Recently, various championships have been the talk of the town. Proponents believe that organising sports programs at an international level is beneficial for making friends with foreign nations. However, critics argue that this only creates friction between them. After weighing both sides, I concluded that although these tournaments make all citizens of various nationalities compete against each other, it also provides opportunities to showcase the best version of every country.

On the one hand, holding contests outside the country provides native citizens an opportunity to strengthen the bond with others. Since all competitors have to live under the same roof throughout the sports events, they get along with each other. Consequently, they become friends. Additionally, they have sportsmanship, which limits the fierceness of competition till the event. For example, football players restrict their opponents in the game aggressively, but outside the court they have dinner with them. Hence, championship can not forbid the countries to be friends.

In sharp contrast, participating in sports games allows each native individual of diverse nations to compete against one another, which causes bitterness. Every event has winners and losers. Losing country's residents avoid communication with the winning team out of shame. As the public of their nations makes it a bigger issue, they are unable to take it gracefully. For instance, when a cricket team loses, their country folks make them responsible for the shame. Thus, those tensions brought by contests create bitterness between two countries.

I opine that every sportsperson should keep the winning aggression till the games; once the sports events are over, they should forget about them and make friends with neighbouring countries. If they bring positive spirits to the championship, then they can create great bond with others.

In a nutshell, while sports programs have some demerits due to the friction created by individuals of different nationalities, It can also bring a positive side by providing a chance to make good friends, and I reckon that everyone should demonstrate their brighter side in the game without sabotaging the relationship.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both views and give a clear personal position: international events can create rivalry, but they also offer opportunities for friendship and positive national representation. The two main perspectives are supported with relevant examples, such as players socialising after a match and public reactions to a cricket defeat. This meets the task well, and the position is apparent in the introduction and conclusion. However, some reasoning is general or not fully explained. For example, the claim that losing-country residents avoid communication with the winning team is asserted rather than demonstrated, and the idea of showcasing “the best version” of a country is not developed in the body. To strengthen the response further, explain how these examples support your view and make the final opinion more directly answer whether the events bring countries together overall.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, your opinion, and a conclusion. The contrast between the main arguments is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the one hand,” “In sharp contrast,” and “In a nutshell” help guide the reader. Ideas generally progress logically within each paragraph. Some linking is a little mechanical, however, with repeated cause-and-effect transitions such as “Consequently,” “Hence,” and “Thus.” The opinion paragraph also repeats the idea of making friends without connecting it closely to the earlier examples. Use a wider range of referencing and transitions, and build clearer links between claims, examples, and your overall position to make the progression more seamless.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “friction,” “sportsmanship,” “bitterness,” and “aggressively,” and these choices make the main ideas clear. There are also attempts at less common or expressive phrasing, such as “talk of the town” and “showcase the best version.” However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural: “sports programs” is not the best fit for international competitions, “native citizens” is awkward in this context, and “create great bond” needs a more natural expression. “Restrict their opponents” also does not clearly convey the intended meaning. Aim for precise, natural collocations and avoid repeating broad terms such as “friends” and “countries”; this would make the vocabulary more flexible and accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses beginning “Since,” “although,” and “when,” and most sentences communicate their meaning clearly. Some grammatical errors remain. In the introduction, “these tournaments … it also provides” has a subject–verb agreement problem and an unclear pronoun reference; use “they also provide.” In “Losing country's residents,” the possessive form should be plural, and “championship can not forbid” needs an article and a more suitable verb construction. There are also punctuation and capitalization slips, such as the capital “It” after a comma in the conclusion. Check agreement, articles, possessives, and sentence punctuation carefully, while continuing to use complex clauses.

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