Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

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

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 believe that sports activities in various countries such as The Olympics and the Football World Cup, bring countries closer, whereas others think that it only creates sense of competition and not friendship. I therefore, only partially agree with this view and will discuss in detail before presenting my own opinion.

On the one hand, people think that participating in variety of events develops good connections between countries and they get a chance to remain connected with each other. For example, if any event occurs at an international level then, people who are fond of watching World Cup, usually enjoy these activities with their families. In addition, sportsmen also want to explore other countries and get a chance to meet their colleagues. As a result, they represent their countries which turns out to be highly beneficial for them.

On the other hand, excessive competition may leads to negative consequences between participants as well as countries. For instance, many countries create a false narrative for an opponent country's members. Some may believe that they will behave harshly with rivalry team members. Therefore, they begin their matches with the bad behavior which often disrupts the confidence level among individuals.

In my opinion, having a sense of competition is a good initiative but completely focusing on games may lead to enhance jealousy rather than friendship. As we sometimes meet someone, so it is better to build good friendship and proceed towards game smoothly.

In conclusion, building strong relationships among countries result in an excellent bond between countries. Consequently, focusing only on game often creates resentment between people and countries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views—that international sports bring countries together and that they create competition and conflict—while also providing the writer's own opinion. The position is clear throughout the essay, stated in the introduction and maintained in the body and conclusion. However, the ideas are somewhat generalized and lack fully developed supporting evidence. For instance, the argument about creating a false narrative or bad behavior in the third paragraph is vague and underdeveloped. While the task is adequately addressed, the support remains basic rather than fully extended, aligning best with a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay presents a clear overall arrangement with an introduction, distinct body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the response. Cohesive devices are employed to signal transitions, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, referencing and logical progression are occasionally faulty. For example, the transitional logic in the final sentence of the third paragraph ('Therefore, they begin their matches with the bad behavior which often disrupts the confidence level') feels abrupt and mechanically linked rather than smoothly flowing. Overall progression is present, but cohesion is sometimes mechanical, supporting a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'excessive competition', 'false narrative', and 'resentment'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text. For example, writing 'sports activities in various countries such as The Olympics' is slightly unnatural, and the phrase 'excessive competition may leads to' contains a clear lexical-grammatical slip. Additionally, 'proceed towards game smoothly' is awkward. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general meaning, but recurring slips place it firmly in the Band 6.0 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting structures like conditional clauses and relative clauses. However, grammatical errors are frequent enough to detract from fluency. There are issues with subject-verb agreement and tense consistency, such as 'excessive competition may leads to' (should be 'may lead') and missing articles ('proceed towards game smoothly' instead of 'proceed towards the game'). Punctuation and comma splices also occur, such as in the opening sentence ('I therefore, only partially agree'). While these errors do not severely impede overall communication, they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band, making Band 6.0 the most appropriate score.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.