Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-18
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)
Some people argue that international games bring regions together while others argue that these types of events increase the rivalry between countries. However, I believe that international sports events like the Olympics, the Football World Cup and the Cricket World Cup bring people together as this allows people to connect with others.
Worldwide sports competitions allow people to connect as a group. This means that people with the same passion come together and support their favourite team or athlete. Even though they are from various regions, they sit together and cheer for their favourite team along with other individuals. This creates harmony among countries. As an example, in the Football World Cup, fans from different countries support their favourite sportsman or team. Additionally, some countries organise friendly matches to make peace. Therefore, international sports events are a good way to bring countries together.
On the other hand, some people think that these events create competition among countries. This is because individuals who are addicted to sports events become more emotional over losses. Thus, they make aggressive decisions. For instance, in the 2024 Cricket World Cup, fans of the runners-up team fought with the rival team's fans over their loss. Hence, international sports events create problems and misunderstandings between countries.
In conclusion, while some believe that sports events create rivalry among countries, I believe international games bring people and countries together because sports allow people to sit together and support their preferred sportsman.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views—that international sports bring countries together and that they create competition and rivalry—while clearly stating their own opinion in the introduction and conclusion. Ideas are relevant, such as fans supporting teams together and occasional fan clashes, but they tend to be somewhat repetitive and lack full development. Furthermore, it is important to note that the length requirement is NOT met, as the response contains 242 words, falling short of the 250-word minimum. This under-length impacts the overall task response as ideas are not fully extended. Therefore, a band score of 5.5 is appropriate for Task Achievement due to the underdeveloped points and the length penalty.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The text is arranged logically with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs exploring opposing views, and a concluding summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate ideas. Cohesive devices are employed to signal transitions, such as 'On the other hand,' 'Additionally,' and 'In conclusion.' However, referencing and progression are sometimes simplistic or mechanical, for instance relying heavily on repetitive sentence structures ('This is because,' 'This means that'). Overall, the logical organisation provides a coherent structure that is easy to follow, justifying a band score of 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'international sports events,' 'rivalry,' 'harmony,' and 'aggressive decisions.' However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, with frequent reuse of words like 'fan,' 'team,' and 'countries.' There are occasional unnatural collocations or word choices, such as 'addicted to sports events' instead of 'passionate about sports' or 'obsessed with sports.' While communication is never impeded, the lack of more sophisticated or precise lexical items prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Consequently, a band score of 6.0 is awarded.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing dependent clauses and conditional structures like 'Even though they are from various regions, they sit together...' Control over basic grammar is generally good, and punctuation is handled correctly throughout the response. There are occasional awkward phrasings or minor errors, but they do not impede communication. The variety of structures demonstrates a reasonable command of grammar, aligning well with the descriptors for Band 6.0, which features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms alongside some errors that rarely interfere with the reader's understanding.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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