Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-12

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)

International sporting events, such as the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup, attract people from countries around the world. While some people believe that these events are an affective way to bring nations closer together, others argue that they create rivalry and competitions between countries. This essay will discuss both views, and I believe that the positive effects of international sports events are greater.

On the one hand, international sporting events can strengthen the relationship between countries. Athletes and spectators from different nations have opportunities to meet and interact with one another. As a result, they can learn different cultures, traditions and lifestyles, which can promote mutual understanding and respect. Moreover, people from different countries often share the excitement of watching the same sporting event, creating a sense of unity. For example, during the Olympic Games, athletes from many nations live and train in the same environment, which can allow them to develop friendship despite their different background.

On the other hand, international sports can also create strong competition between countries. National teams represent their countries, so supporters often have a strong desire to see their team win. This can sometime lead to rivalry, arguments or even aggressive behaviour among fans. In addition, governments and athletes may experience considerable pressure to achieve better results than other nations.

Nevertheless, I believe that internation sporting events do more to promote friendship rather than conflict. Although competition is an unavoidable part of sports, it can also encourage athletes to respect their opponent and perform at their best.

In conclusion, although international sporting events can sometime increase rivalry and competition, they are generally an effective way to bring countries and people close together. In my opinion, their ability to promote cultural exchange, mutual respect and international friendship outweighs their negative effects.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—that international sports events bring countries together and that they create competition and rivalry—while also providing a clear personal opinion. The position is maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are generally well extended and supported, such as when discussing how athletes living and training together promotes friendship, and how fan pressure and team representation can lead to rivalry. However, some of the supporting points could have been elaborated further to reach the highest bands, placing this firmly at a Band 7 level where all parts are clearly addressed and supported with a clear overarching position.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay displays clear logical organisation and a smooth progression throughout. Information and ideas are coherently structured, moving logically from an introduction to body paragraphs discussing each viewpoint, a counter-perspective, and a concise conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct central theme. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion' are employed appropriately to guide the reader through the argument. While cohesion is well managed, it occasionally relies on standard linking phrases rather than more sophisticated, seamless referencing, which is entirely consistent with a solid Band 7 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task. Less common lexical items and collocations are attempted, such as 'mutual understanding and respect', 'sense of unity', and 'cultural exchange'. There are, however, a few minor vocabulary and spelling inaccuracies, such as using 'affective' instead of 'effective' in the introduction, 'internation' instead of 'international', and 'close together' instead of 'closer together' in the conclusion. Despite these minor flaws, the lexical resource is sufficient to convey the message clearly and accurately, preventing these slips from impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The writer uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, demonstrating control over relative clauses ('which can promote mutual understanding') and conditional ideas. There are frequent error-free sentences throughout the response. However, a few minor grammatical errors persist, such as 'can sometime lead' (missing the 's' on sometimes) and 'promote friendship rather than conflict' (where 'more than' would pair better with 'more'). Punctuation is generally sound, and the occasional grammatical slips do not impede communication, supporting a confident Band 7 score for grammar.

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