Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-08

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 7.0)

Some people contend that global sports events such as Olympics or FIFA World Cup strengthen the bond between different countries whereas others believe that these events create rivalry between them. In my opinion, although passionate sports lovers feel that their country should win all the games and they see the opponent team as their rivals, sports competitions are a good way to develop harmony and friendship between countries,

To commence with, the main reason why some members of the society argue that international sports games create competition is that fans are more emotionally connected to their countries instead of the game. To elaborate, since most of the citizens love their motherland, they feel that their country should win all the games. They feel pride when they see their country flag at the top spot. As a result, they always want their country to win and this creates a sense of competition with their opponents. To exemplify, my Egyptians feel that referees were biased when their team was not given a goal point against Argentina in the recent Football World Cup match. Hence, this created a sense of rivalry in them against the South American team.

On the other hand, some mature individuals watch sports with a sense of kindness, empathy and humanity. They give respect to the game and efforts of the players. This does not means that they do not love their respective countries, they understand that players train extremely hard for nations. Hence, they applaud the efforts of the players no matter which countries they belong to.

They understand that winning and losing is a part of the game and respect their opponents. For instance, Indian fans have great respect and admiration towards the Australian Cricket team as they believe Australian players are talented and play game with fairness.

To recapitulate, this essay has discussed that some sports fans only value winning and this creates a sense and feeling of rivalry with other teams. On the flip side, this essay has also highlighted that some citizens value the efforts of teams and different players because of the kind and empathetic nature. They respect and applaud the opposite side as well for their hardworking and victory. In my opinion, sports completions bring people of different origins together when they see their players respecting the opponents.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both perspectives and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, particularly the distinction between emotional fan reactions and the appreciation of sportsmanship. However, the development could be more sophisticated; for instance, the example regarding the Egypt vs. Argentina match is slightly confusing as these teams rarely play each other in major tournaments, which slightly weakens the support. The position is consistent throughout, and the conclusion effectively synthesizes the arguments presented. To reach a higher band, ensure that examples are universally recognizable or more clearly explained to strengthen the logical flow of the argument.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'To commence with', 'On the other hand', and 'To recapitulate' are used effectively to guide the reader through the argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a central theme. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions between sentences feel slightly mechanical. The referencing is clear, and the progression of ideas from the negative aspects of rivalry to the positive aspects of sportsmanship is logical and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task, allowing for some precision in expressing ideas. Phrases like 'emotionally connected', 'mature individuals', and 'empathetic nature' demonstrate a good range. There are some minor inaccuracies in collocation and word choice, such as 'goal point' (instead of 'goal') and 'play game with fairness' (instead of 'play the game fairly'). While the student attempts to use less common vocabulary, these occasional slips prevent the response from reaching the higher bands. The range is adequate to convey meaning clearly, but more idiomatic or precise academic collocations would enhance the overall quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is a good attempt at using complex sentences, such as 'Although passionate sports lovers feel that their country should win... sports competitions are a good way to develop harmony'. However, there are persistent grammatical errors, such as 'This does not means' (should be 'mean') and 'my Egyptians feel' (should be 'many Egyptians'). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are minor issues with comma usage. Despite these errors, the meaning is never obscured, and the grammatical control is sufficient to maintain clear communication throughout the text.

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