Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-13

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)

The debate about whether global sports competitions, such as the Olympics or the Football World Cup, increase friendship or rivalry between countries is contentious. In my opinion, such events bring people together through a shared interest, and promote cultural exchange and healthy competition rather than creating animosity.

Many international sports events may create intense competition among participating countries because countries are ranked based on the performances of their athletes. Athletes and teams represent nations, which means that victories and defeats are often interpreted as matters of national pride. For example, when one team in the World Cup wins the championship title, all other participating teams become jealous of the winning team. As a result, the fierce competition in such global events may result in negative attitudes towards the opposing countries and stimulate nationalism.

Conversely, such events provide equal opportunities to players of all countries irrespective of their socio-economic status. They also provide an opportunity for athletes from different cultural, social and religious backgrounds to live together. For example, in the Olympics, a sports village where athletes from all over the world live together under one roof, helps participants develop mutual respect and a deeper understanding of different cultures. Moreover, while taking part in such competitions, many international athletes may get inspired to work harder for future events. Furthermore, the spectators all over the world watch such events because of the common interest which unites them in a unique way. Thus, international sports events encourage cultural exchange, mutual respect and sportsmanship among the competing countries.

In conclusion, although global sports events may intensify competition among athletes, I firmly believe they encourage cultural exchange, mutual respect, sportsmanship and offer a shared interest which promote collaboration and friendship among people from different countries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The student addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the view that international sports events create rivalry and the perspective that they foster unity and cultural exchange. A clear position is stated in the introduction and maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are extended and supported with relevant examples, such as the mention of the Olympic village and the competitive nature of the World Cup. While the explanation regarding jealousy when a team wins is slightly simplistic, the overall development of ideas is solid and fully meets the requirements for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from the introduction to the counter-argument, the supporting argument, and finally the conclusion. Cohesive devices are used effectively, including transition markers like 'Conversely', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct trains of thought. The referencing and logical flow are well managed, ensuring that the reader can easily follow the progression of the argument, comfortably placing this response in the Band 7 range.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision. Phrases like 'cultural exchange', 'socio-economic status', and 'mutual respect' show a good grasp of less common lexical items. Word choice is generally appropriate, although there are minor simplifications, such as 'jealous' instead of 'envious' or 'resentful'. Spelling and word formation are accurate throughout the text, allowing the communication of ideas to proceed smoothly without any impediment. The lexical range is adequate for a solid Band 7 score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response employs a good variety of complex structures alongside simpler sentences. Examples of complex structures include conditional clauses and relative clauses, such as 'when one team in the World Cup wins the championship title, all other participating teams become jealous'. The majority of sentences are error-free, and control of grammar and punctuation is good. While occasional minor awkwardness exists in sentence phrasing, grammatical accuracy remains high and does not impede communication in any way, fully warranting a Band 7 score.

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