Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-15

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 6.0)

Sports events are held in every country in the world. There are events like the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics, where teams from different countries compete in their respective sports. Despite this view, some think that competing with other countries does not mean they can be friends. In my opinion, competition has a significant role in decreasing the mindset of being enemies on the ground.

Nowadays, the world is divided because of war, politics, and money. However, the local people of each country would appreciate learning about different cultures and views. Having said that, sports play a vital role by bringing foreign countries to compete on the same ground, but it also helps to boost the local economy by attracting tourists to the hosting country.

Moreover, it creates a sense that the new generation would like to become a friend than enemies forever. As an example, India and Pakistan play cricket; every year they compete with dedication to win the Champions Trophy. Regardless of having sheer intent to win, every individual celebrates whoever wins the trophy. The whole stadium becomes a place of celebration.

On the other hand, several people believe that competitors can not be friends. It is believed that to bring closeness between countries

old memories need to be forgotten. For example, countries like South Korea and North Korea have sensitive past that is why they can not forget their past

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student addresses the prompt by discussing both views on international sports events (bringing countries together versus creating competition) and provides a personal opinion in the introduction. However, the response is under-length, containing only 234 words against the required minimum of 250 words. This negative impact restricts the full development of ideas, particularly in the final body paragraph discussing South Korea and North Korea, which ends abruptly without a complete concluding thought. While the ideas are relevant, the under-length penalty and the under-development of the second viewpoint prevent the response from achieving a higher band. Consequently, it fits the descriptor for Band 5.5, where ideas are somewhat limited and under-developed due to length constraints.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a generally coherent overall arrangement with a clear introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, and a stated position. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different arguments. However, the progression is occasionally disrupted by awkward transitions and mechanical cohesive devices, such as starting paragraphs with 'Nowadays,' or 'Moreover,' which do not always logically link the ideas. Referencing is sometimes unclear, as seen in the phrase 'Despite this view, some think...' where the antecedent of 'this view' is slightly ambiguous. The final paragraph lacks adequate closure due to the word count constraint. Overall, the organizational structure is functional but demonstrates faults that place it at Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'respective sports', 'significant role', and 'boost the local economy'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but these are sometimes accompanied by inaccuracies or awkward collocations, such as 'decreasing the mindset of being enemies', 'sheer intent', and 'become a friend than enemies forever'. Word choice errors occasionally occur, such as missing pluralisations or prepositions ('have sensitive past'). Nevertheless, the vocabulary used is sufficient to convey the main messages without severely impeding communication, aligning well with the Band 6.0 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional or relative clauses like 'teams from different countries compete in their respective sports' and 'countries like South Korea and North Korea have sensitive past that is why they can not forget their past'. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as missing articles ('have sensitive past'), run-on or comma-splice tendencies, and awkward phrasing ('that is why they can not forget their past'). While these errors are noticeable and require the reader to occasionally re-read, they rarely completely impede overall communication. This mix of structures and error frequency is characteristic of a Band 5.5 performance.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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