Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-03

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)

There is an ongoing debate that international sports events like The Olympics or the Football World Cup are a good way to make countries friends with each other but some people also argue that such events do not foster friendly relations between countries rather they create a sense of competition among them. in the following discussion I will discuss both the opinions from my own viewpoint.

First of all, these sports events are a great source of bringing all the different teams from different countries to one place and also the hosting country gets a chance to showcase it's culture and traditions to people from all around the world. Secondly, these sports events also arrange friendly matches between different teams just to make different teams aware of each other ssportsmanship and qualities.

However, on the other hand when peole from different corners of the world come together at one place then they really show their true colours.Whenever a team is in the comfort of their own country then its easy to play and showcase the talent.But when the field is new and the environment is unfamilier and so do the crowd,then comes the real test of sportsmanship.It has been experienced that some very talented sportmen cannot perform well away from their homegrounds. These feelings of frustration lead to increased competition and loss of frienships.

So to conclud, I would say that both the opinions are correct in their own sense because no satement can be negated.Bringing teams at one place can foster friendships between teams and also creaties enmities at one and the same time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on international sports events and providing a personal opinion in the conclusion. However, the treatment of the ideas remains somewhat limited and under-developed. For example, the point about the hosting country showcasing its culture is introduced briefly in the second paragraph without further explanation or expansion. Similarly, the discussion on the pressure of unfamiliar environments and sportsmanship in the third paragraph touches upon relevant concepts, but these ideas are not fully extended with specific examples or deep analysis. The position is stated, though it leans towards a generalized summary rather than a deeply argued stance. To move to a higher band, the writer needs to fully develop each main idea with extended supporting details, clear reasoning, and concrete examples.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response presents a coherent overall arrangement with a recognisable introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, maintaining an identifiable progression of ideas. However, cohesion at the sentence and paragraph level is sometimes mechanical or faulty. For instance, the transition 'First of all' and 'Secondly' is used simply, and the connection between sentences in the third paragraph feels slightly disjointed due to abrupt shifts between the ideas of playing at home versus away. Furthermore, referencing is occasionally unclear, and paragraphing could be improved to better separate the discussion of the two opposing views from the writer's personal opinion. To achieve a higher score, the writer should employ a wider range of cohesive devices more naturally and ensure smoother logical transitions between sentences and paragraphs throughout the essay.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, successfully communicating basic meanings related to sports and international relations, such as 'international sports events', 'friendly matches', and 'sportsmanship'. However, there are noticeable lexical limitations and errors in word choice, spelling, and word form that occasionally cause minor confusion or show an unrefined command of language. Examples include 'unfamilier' (unfamiliar), 'sportmen' (sportsmen), 'homegrounds' (home grounds), and 'frienships' (friendships). Additionally, the writer attempts less common vocabulary like 'foster friendly relations' and 'true colours', but these are sometimes awkwardly used or accompanied by collocation issues. To reach the next band, the student must expand their lexical repertoire, use less common vocabulary with greater precision and stylistic awareness, and eliminate spelling and word-form errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences alongside a few attempts at complex forms. There are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text that cause difficulty and require the reader to slow down. Notable issues include missing capitalization and punctuation at the start of sentences ('in the following discussion', 'Whenever a team...'), run-on phrasing ('competition among them. in the following'), and structural errors such as 'and so do the crowd' and 'So to conclud'. Agreement and article usage also show persistent slips. To advance to the next band, the student needs to incorporate a wider variety of error-free complex sentence structures, improve overall sentence punctuation, and significantly reduce the frequency of basic grammatical errors.

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