Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-27

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 6.5)

Many people believe that large international sports events, like the Olympic Games or the Football World Cup, are excellent ways to bring different countries together. However, others think that these tournaments create bad competition and anger instead of friendship. While sports can sometimes cause small arguments, I believe they mostly help countries become good friends.On the one hand, some people feel that big sports matches cause too much negative competition. When teams play on a global stage, the pressure to win is very high. This pressure can turn a friendly game into an angry fight. For example, when fans see their national team lose, they often feel upset and start arguments with fans from the winning country. Furthermore, if a referee makes a bad mistake or if a player cheats, it can make whole nations feel angry and distrust each other.On the other hand, global sports events are wonderful because they let people from different cultures meet and talk. Millions of fans travel to the host city, where they celebrate and watch games together. This helps people see that everyone shares the same love for sports, no matter where they are from. For instance, in the Olympic Village, athletes from different countries live, eat, and chat together in peace. This shows that normal people can get along well even if their governments have political problems.In conclusion, although high-stakes sports can sometimes create temporary tension between nations, their power to unite people is much stronger. In my opinion, sharing a love for games and meeting new people helps the world become a friendlier place.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on international sports events—that they unite countries and that they cause competition and anger—while providing a clear personal opinion. The writer establishes a position right from the introduction ("I believe they mostly help countries become good friends") and maintains it throughout the essay. Ideas are well-extended and supported with relevant examples, such as the mention of fans experiencing pressure, referees making mistakes, and athletes interacting peacefully in the Olympic Village. The response meets the criteria for Band 7, as all parts of the prompt are addressed with a clear position and well-developed supporting arguments, though some of the generalisations could be extended further for a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays clear logical organisation and progression throughout. The structure is evident, moving smoothly from a well-defined introduction to separate body paragraphs discussing each viewpoint, and concluding with a clear summary. Cohesive devices are used effectively to guide the reader, such as "On the one hand", "Furthermore", and "On the other hand". Paragraphing is managed appropriately, with each major point housed in its own distinct section. Referencing is clear, and the overall progression of ideas feels natural. Although cohesive devices are used well, the essay occasionally relies on slightly standard transitional markers, placing it firmly at a Band 7 level.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The writer uses an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task. There is successful usage of less common and topic-specific items such as "global stage", "distrust each other", "political problems", and "high-stakes sports". While the vocabulary is mostly accurate and allows the message to be communicated clearly, there are occasional instances of slightly simplistic word choices, such as "big sports matches" and "angry fight", which prevent the score from reaching the higher bands. Spelling and word formation are accurate throughout the essay, demonstrating a solid grasp of functional language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. The writer successfully uses subordinate clauses and conditional constructions, such as "When teams play on a global stage, the pressure to win is very high" and "even if their governments have political problems." Grammar and punctuation are handled with a good degree of control. Although there are some minor mechanical errors, such as missing spaces after periods at the end of paragraphs, the majority of sentences are error-free, and grammatical mistakes never impede communication. This performance aligns well with the Band 7 descriptor.

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