Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-19

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)

In modern society, international sports events are increasingly common due to the globalization. Some people believe that international gaming events, including the Olympics or the Football World Cup, are a good way to bring countries together, whilst others argue that these international events create competition rather than friendship among countries. In my opinion, sports events are one of the best ways to unite people in different parts of the world.

Regardless of the age, race or gender most people in the world enjoy sports events. For an instance, individuals tend to buy tickets, wear printed clothes with their favourite player’s name or number on it and also put flags on their vehicles as a support to their country and players in the gaming season. In Olympic season, the host country will build an Olympic Village to show the unity and harmony among players and countries.

On the other hand, these international sports events may be create unnecessary competition or fights between countries too. As an example, there is an ongoing debate between the next Olympic host country and the other regional powers regarding the environmental issues this may create in the long run. These debates will eventually pave the path to misunderstandings and competition among nations. These international issues may have the possibility to create serious economic and military wars too.

However, it is important to note that, these international sports events are highly contribute to build strategically important friendships, harmony and unity among countries, instead of competition.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—that sports unite countries and that they create competition or conflict—and clearly states an opinion in the introduction. Ideas are generally relevant, such as mentioning the Olympic Village for unity and environmental debates for competition, but some points remain under-developed. For example, the mention that international issues 'may have the possibility to create serious economic and military wars too' is an overstatement and lacks sufficient supporting evidence. Furthermore, a critical penalty must be applied here because the length requirement is NOT met: the response contains 248 words, falling just 2 words short of the mandatory 250-word minimum. Consequently, the score is capped at a Band 5.5 due to this under-length penalty and the slightly underdeveloped body paragraphs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response features a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing each viewpoint, and a brief concluding thought. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. However, the progression within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by mechanical or repetitive cohesive devices. For instance, the text relies heavily on transitional phrases like 'On the other hand,' 'As an example,' and 'However,' which can feel formulaic. Referencing and referencing links are generally clear, but the logical flow between sentences occasionally feels disjointed, particularly in the transition from environmental debates to military wars. Overall, the organizational structure meets the criteria for Band 6.0, as the overarching logic is clear despite some mechanical cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'globalization', 'unite', 'harmony', and 'misunderstandings'. However, there are noticeable word-choice and collocation errors throughout the response. For example, the student writes 'gaming events' instead of 'sporting events' and states that sports events 'may be create' instead of 'may create'. Additionally, phrases like 'pave the path to' and 'highly contribute to build' show awkward lexical combinations. Spelling is generally accurate, but these persistent minor inaccuracies in collocation prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. The vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the intended meaning, aligning well with the Band 6.0 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over grammar with structures such as 'Regardless of the age, race or gender most people...' and 'In my opinion, sports events are one of the best ways to unite people...'. However, there are several noticeable grammatical errors. The sentence 'these international sports events may be create unnecessary competition' contains a tense and verb form error. Similarly, 'are highly contribute to build' mixes auxiliary and infinitive structures incorrectly. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but comma splices and missing commas after introductory phrases appear occasionally. These errors do not seriously impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher grade, justifying a Band 6.0.

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