Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-30
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 5.5)
On the one hand, international sports events can bring people from different countries closer together. During these events, athletes and supporters from many nations meet and share the same experience. They can learn about different cultures, traditions and lifestyles. For example, the Olympic Games bring thousands of athletes together, allowing them to communicate and develop friendships despite coming from different backgrounds. In addition, international competitions can encourage people to respect other countries and their cultures.
On the other hand, sports competitions can sometimes increase rivalry between countries. Supporters usually strongly support their own national teams and want them to win. This can sometimes lead to arguments between fans, especially during important football matches. Furthermore, when a country loses an important competition, some supporters may blame the opposing team or behave aggressively. Therefore, competition can occasionally create tension rather than friendship.
In my opinion, although international sports events naturally involve competition, they generally provide an opportunity for countries and people to interact peacefully. The competition is usually limited to the sports field, while the wider event encourages cultural exchange and communication. For instance, players from different countries can compete strongly during a match but still respect each other after the game.
In conclusion, international sporting events can create both competition and friendship. However, I believe that their ability to connect people from different cultures is an important positive aspect of these events.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views on international sports events creating friendship versus competition, and clearly states their own opinion. Ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the Olympic Games and football matches. However, the response has a notable drawback regarding length: it contains 231 words, which falls below the mandatory 250-word minimum specified for Task 2. Because the length requirement is not met, a penalty must be applied to Task Achievement, preventing the score from rising into the higher bands. Nonetheless, the core elements of task response, including position development and coverage, are visible. Therefore, considering the under-length penalty and the well-reasoned arguments, a band score of 5.5 is appropriate.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay displays a clear overall arrangement and logical progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, beginning appropriately with introduction of the two views, followed by arguments for international cooperation, arguments for rivalry, the personal opinion, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used adequately to guide the reader, as seen with phrases like 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'In addition', and 'Furthermore'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, ensuring that ideas are grouped logically. Referencing is generally clear, and although some transitions are slightly formulaic, the text remains coherent overall. This performance aligns comfortably with the Band 6 descriptors for cohesion and logical sequencing.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'international sports events', 'cultural exchange', 'rivalry', and 'aggressively'. Word choice is generally appropriate and allows the message to be communicated without difficulty. However, the vocabulary tends to be somewhat standard and repetitive, lacking the more sophisticated, less common lexical items required for higher band levels. Phrases like 'bring people from different countries closer together' and 'important football matches' work well, but show limited lexical flexibility. There are no major spelling or word-formation errors. This balanced execution sits firmly at the Band 6 level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response features a workable mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over basic grammatical structures. Examples of complex sentences include 'Although international sports events naturally involve competition, they generally provide an opportunity...' and '...allowing them to communicate and develop friendships despite coming from different backgrounds.' The majority of the sentences are grammatically sound, and punctuation is handled correctly throughout. While there is a reliance on somewhat predictable sentence patterns and occasional minor limitations in structural variety, the errors are very few and never impede communication. The accuracy displayed here clearly meets the criteria for Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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