Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-03

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 7.5)

International sporting events such as the Olympics and the Football World Cup attract people from all over the world. While some people believe that these events promote friendship and unity between nations, others argue that they create rivalry and competition. Although sporting competitions can sometimes increase tensions, I believe that they are generally more effective in bringing countries and their people together.

On the one hand, international sporting events provide an opportunity for people from different countries to interact and learn about one another. This is because athletes and spectators from diverse cultural backgrounds gather in the same place and share a common interest in sport. Such interaction can help reduce cultural stereotypes and develop mutual understanding, as people have the opportunity to communicate with those from other nations. For example, during the Olympic Games, athletes from different countries live and train alongside each other and often develop friendships despite competing for their respective nations. As a result, these events can create a sense of international community and encourage more positive attitudes towards people from different cultures.

On the other hand, it is also argued that international sports can create competition rather than friendship. The main reason for this is that countries compete directly against each other, and sporting success is often closely associated with national pride. When supporters become excessively focused on winning, they may regard opposing nations as rivals rather than potential friends. For instance, football matches between countries can sometimes lead to aggressive behaviour among supporters, particularly when there is already a history of rivalry between the nations involved. Consequently, sporting competitions may intensify existing tensions and create hostility between some groups of people.

In my opinion, however, the unifying effects of international sporting events are greater than their divisive effects. Although competition and rivalry are unavoidable aspects of sport, the events themselves encourage millions of people to share an experience regardless of their nationality. Moreover, the cultural exchange that takes place among athletes and spectators can promote understanding beyond the competition itself. Therefore, international sports events should generally be viewed as a means of strengthening relationships between countries rather than simply creating rivalry.

In conclusion, international sporting events can both promote friendship and create competition between nations. Nevertheless, I believe that their ability to encourage cultural exchange, interaction and mutual understanding makes them a valuable way of bringing people from different countries together.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt. You have clearly discussed both perspectives—the unifying nature of international sports and the potential for rivalry—while maintaining a consistent personal opinion throughout. The ideas are well-developed, with relevant examples such as the Olympic Games and football matches to support your arguments. The position is clear from the introduction and is consistently supported in the body paragraphs and the conclusion. The response is balanced and demonstrates a strong understanding of the task requirements, meeting all criteria for a high band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between paragraphs is smooth, using effective cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In my opinion'. The use of referencing is precise, and the logical flow from the introduction to the conclusion is well-managed. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different viewpoints, making the argument easy to follow. The cohesion is natural and unobtrusive, contributing to the overall clarity of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases such as 'diverse cultural backgrounds', 'mutual understanding', 'aggressive behaviour', and 'divisive effects' show a good command of topic-specific language. While the vocabulary is accurate and appropriate for the context, it could be slightly more sophisticated to reach the highest band. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or collocation, and the language used is natural and fits the formal tone required for an IELTS essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a wide range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences with subordinate clauses (e.g., 'Although sporting competitions can sometimes increase tensions, I believe that...'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and verb tenses is excellent. There are no significant grammatical errors that impede communication. The writing is fluent and demonstrates a high level of accuracy, which is consistent throughout the entire piece. The variety of sentence forms used effectively supports the development of your arguments.

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.