Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-04

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 5.5)

There is no doubt that international sports event facilities people around word connected closely, which provide a platform to them communicate with others from different culture. One of Chinese famous words says" friendship is first important thing and the competition is second important thing.

The football World Cup is a festival for fans from all over the world. There are quite large commands and talks about the football players and the guess of the which country would be the champion. Although people prefer to support the team of their own country, they are also be attracted by great skills and personalities of foreign football stars. Like Messi, he is famous with excellent football skills and there are lots of fans have common habit because of him creating friendship.

The Olympics hold for several sports competition, such as tennis, basket ball, badminton. The charm of sports attracts the people even if the champion is someone from other countries. And Olympics will hold in different countries every four years, it's a great change for the host to show the culture and gain sufficient attention from all over the world. And Olympics attract people travel to the host country and players from every country have platform to communicate with others and get more knowledge.

In my opinion, competition will not hurt friendship. Competition is creating a platform making the friendship more stable. We are children of the world to enjoy the beautiful of sports and take a part in interesting event with others.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the discussion on the World Cup focuses heavily on fans and individual stars rather than the broader geopolitical implications of international events. Similarly, the section on the Olympics lists sports and host benefits without deeply exploring how these events foster friendship or competition. While the prompt is addressed, the arguments lack depth and specific examples that would elevate the response to a higher band. The conclusion is present but brief, and the overall development remains at a basic level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, the transition 'And Olympics will hold...' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the flow. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the sentence 'there are lots of fans have common habit because of him creating friendship.' The progression of ideas within paragraphs is occasionally disjointed, making the logical flow feel somewhat forced. More varied and precise linking words are needed to improve the overall cohesion of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary range is limited and often imprecise. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'facilities people around word connected closely' (likely meaning 'facilitates people around the world connecting') and 'large commands and talks' (likely meaning 'large amounts of discussion'). The student relies on basic vocabulary and struggles with collocations. While the meaning is generally understandable, the lack of flexibility and the frequent errors in word choice prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. More sophisticated vocabulary related to international relations or sports culture would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a high frequency of grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. There are frequent issues with subject-verb agreement ('Olympics hold for', 'there are lots of fans have'), article usage ('the football World Cup', 'the champion'), and sentence structure ('it's a great change for the host to show the culture'). While the student attempts some complex sentences, they are often faulty, leading to confusion. The control over basic grammar is inconsistent, and the lack of error-free sentences is a significant limiting factor. Improving basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement is essential.

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