Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-14

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 6.5)

The issue of whether international sports promote global unity or cause rivalry among participating nations has sparked considerable debate in recent years. Some people believe that events such as the Olympics or the Football world cup improve relations between nations, while others argue that sports competitions promote conflict. In my opinion, although both perspectives have their own merits, it serves as a powerful tool to promote different cultures between participating nations.

On the one hand, critics believe that these type of events create unhealthy relationship among nations. This is because individuals take game losses to heart, and they start abusing the other teams culture. As a result, when such things are published online, it creates a huge debate, which impacts the diplomatic relations between countries. For example, high-stakes football games between neighbouring countries have sometimes sparked physical violence, which impacts bonding on a global stage. Therefore, this viewpoint has some valid arguments.

On the other hand, I believe that international sport events bring two countries people together by promoting their culture at events. This is because participating nation individuals visit tournament hosting country where they learn more about the local culture and tradition. This way people share common values and make great bonds. Consequently, people develop mutual respect and a better understanding of foreign customs. For instance, during Olympics games players share common facilities, which displays a great message for event audience to respect each other. Therefore, I believe this perspective is more convincing.

In conclusion, although both perspectives have their own merits, I believe that global tournaments are beneficial because not only it brings two different culture together under a one roof, but also promote mutual respect towards each other. Therefore, adopting this approach would be more beneficial for society in the long term.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views on international sports events (unity versus rivalry) and providing a clear personal opinion. The position is maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant, though some arguments in the body paragraphs tend to be slightly repetitive or under-developed. For example, the point about fans taking losses to heart and abusing cultures is introduced, but its connection to international diplomatic relations is stated rather than fully explored. Similarly, the discussion on cultural exchange is straightforward. Overall, the task is well handled, fitting comfortably within the Band 6.5 to 7.0 descriptors. Because the main ideas are present and supported with examples, a score of 6.5 is appropriate.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organised into a standard four-paragraph structure comprising an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. There is a clear overall progression of ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'As a result', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the text, although some transitions feel a bit mechanical. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each paragraph having a distinct focus. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional minor slip-ups in cohesion occur, such as the pronoun reference in 'it serves as a powerful tool' where the antecedent is slightly ambiguous. Overall, the coherence and cohesion reflect a solid Band 6.5 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'diplomatic relations', 'mutual respect', and 'cultural exchange'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text. For instance, the phrase 'these type of events' should be 'these types of events', and 'participating nation individuals' is awkward phrasing. Additionally, 'game losses' and 'event audience' lack natural collocation. While these lexical errors do not impede communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. The vocabulary range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, earning a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over grammar. Examples of complex structures include 'The issue of whether international sports promote global unity or cause rivalry... has sparked considerable debate'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly regarding pluralisation and subject-verb agreement, such as 'not only it brings two different culture together' (should be 'cultures') and 'international sport events bring two countries people together' (possessive form missing). Punctuation and article usage also exhibit minor flaws. These errors occur regularly but rarely impede communication, placing the grammatical performance firmly at a Band 6.0.

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