Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-22

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)

It is argued that global sports programs like the Olympics or the Football World Cup bring all countries together. But some people think that these kinds of events cause friction between nations. In my opinion, it is a good way to conduct international sports events to bring the nations together, but in some cases, there may be unhealthy competition, which leads to problems. So maintaining a sportsman's spirit is a good option.

On the one hand, global sports events create an opportunity to bring people together. This is because a cultural exchange has occurred among the participants. In addition, candidates gain more knowledge of the host country's traditions and history. For instance, people coming from different parts of the world spend time together for days in an international sports event, and can share so many values from their culture. Thus, culture showcases help people bind themselves.

On the other hand, these events may create unwanted competition, which leads to dangerous problems. Candidates may do anything to win, which creates an unethical situation. For example, some candidates may take drugs to boost their performance, and they will fail the drug test after winning the medals. As a result, the bond between the participants as well as countries worsens.

In conclusion, the Olympics and other international sports events sometimes bring people together through cultural exchange, but sometimes they will create unwanted and unethical problems because of ego. In my opinion, it is good to have some international events, but countries do not give more importance to the process of winning.

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—while also providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are generally relevant, but some points are somewhat under-developed. For example, the statement that 'candidates gain more knowledge of the host country's traditions and history' is stated rather than fully extended with deeper reasoning or concrete examples. Furthermore, the final conclusion introduces slightly unclear wording ('countries do not give more importance to the process of winning') which slightly blurs the final stance. Nevertheless, the position is maintained throughout the text and the prompt requirements are adequately covered, fitting the criteria for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from introduction to body paragraphs and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each body paragraph dedicated to one side of the argument ('On the one hand', 'On the other hand'). However, cohesion at the sentence level is occasionally mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent reliance on simple transitional phrases like 'For instance', 'For example', and 'As a result'. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional shifts in pronouns (such as referring to athletes as 'candidates') detract slightly from the smooth flow of ideas. Overall, the organizational structure is sufficiently clear to meet the requirements of 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 'cultural exchange', 'unhealthy competition', and 'unethical situation'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, referring to athletes as 'candidates' is unnatural in this context, and phrases like 'culture showcases help people bind themselves' are awkward. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lexical limitations and occasional imprecise word choices mean that communication, while never impeded, lacks the precision and natural flexibility required for higher bands, placing this response firmly at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures such as conditional and causal clauses (e.g., 'This is because a cultural exchange has occurred', 'As a result, the bond between the participants... worsens'). There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as tense inconsistency ('a cultural exchange has occurred' where past simple or present continuous would be more suitable) and awkward phrasing in the final sentence ('countries do not give more importance'). However, these errors rarely impede communication and the basic rules of grammar are controlled well enough to achieve a Band 6.0.

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

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