Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-09

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)

Although, it is a popular opinion that big international sports events such as the Olympic Games and FIFA brings communities and nationalities together, some do say that these events give rise to negative competition instead of positive bewteen countries. In my opinion, the positivity and the economic boost that is a direct result of large scale international sports events is far too important than a little unhealthy competition.

On one hand, international events such as FIFA and the Olympic Games are a great way to boost economies and bring different nationalities together. Events of such big scale also provide great exposure for the participating atheletes, and can land them sponsorships as well, as a lot of scouts attend these events.

On the other hand, when you have a lot of different nationalities together in one place and athletes coming from all different backgrounds, it can give birth to unnecessary and unhealthy competition. For instance, during screening of matches, especially towards the end of the tournaments, fans sometimes get into heated discussions that have the tendency to escalate very quickly into fights. For example, a few months ago, I had the opportunity to attend the screening of the final match of FIFA, between Argentina and Spain. As we were enjoying the match in a family-friendly environment, an argument started among a group of men over one of the referee's decision about a foul. It was unpleasant to witness especially with little ones around who were getting agitated by the very loud noises and eventually the management escorted the group out as the argument escalated.

Finally, in my view, the opportunites large scale international events create and the new paths it lays down for the atheletes, as individuals, are far greater than any negative, unhealthy competition.

To conclude, international sports events are a great economic booster, and in today's world it opens up a door to bring people together for one cause, to celebrate and to enjoy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both views and make your own position clear: you argue that the benefits of international events outweigh unhealthy competition. The example of the argument during a match screening gives the opposing view a concrete illustration, and your points about economic benefits and athlete exposure are relevant. This meets the task well, but the two sides are not developed equally. The risks are explained through a detailed personal incident, whereas the claimed economic boost and the way events bring countries together are mostly asserted rather than supported with explanation or an example. To strengthen the response, explain how shared participation or hosting can build connections between countries, and support the economic claim with a specific effect or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, your position, and a conclusion. The progression from benefits to drawbacks is easy to follow, and phrases such as “On one hand” and “On the other hand” help signal the contrast. However, the final body paragraph beginning “Finally” largely repeats your position rather than extending the discussion, and the conclusion repeats the economic-benefit point without adding a distinct synthesis. Some linking is also mechanical, with “For instance” followed immediately by “For example” for the same illustration. Combine or vary these transitions, and use the final body paragraph to develop a new reason or connect the two perspectives more explicitly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic-related vocabulary, including “participating athletes,” “sponsorships,” “unhealthy competition,” and “escalate,” which helps communicate both the benefits and risks. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “a direct result” and “economic booster.” However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “FIFA brings communities,” “events of such big scale,” and “the positivity.” Spelling errors such as “bewteen,” “atheletes,” and “opportunites” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more natural collocations and check spelling carefully; precise choices such as “international tournaments foster connections” would make the argument sound more controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional structure in “when you have a lot of different nationalities together…” and a relative clause in “who were getting agitated.” Most sentences remain understandable, and the match-screening example is conveyed clearly. Some grammatical errors and punctuation problems remain. The opening “Although, it is a popular opinion…” uses an unnecessary comma after the subordinating conjunction, while “FIFA brings” has a subject–verb agreement problem if FIFA refers to events. In “the opportunities … create and the new paths it lays down,” the compound subject does not agree with “lays,” and the pronoun reference is unclear. Review agreement, clause punctuation, and sentence construction to improve consistency.

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