Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-13

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 7.0)

It is often argued that international sporting events such as the Olympics and Football World Cups promote cooperation and coordination among nations. Others, however, contend that these tournaments breed rivalry rather than friendship. While I acknowledge that competition is an inherent part of such events, I largely disagree that they bring countries together as they often intensify rivalries and even provoke hostility.

On the one hand, these events are organised on a shared venue and the people from dfferent parts of the world come together at one place. Therefore, they share the traditions and culture with each other, as a result, increasing the understanding. For instance, North and South Korea marched under one flag at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

Nevertheless, on the other hand, I believe these tournaments more often divide nations than unite them. Because athletes represent their country, matches are frequently framed as contests of national pride, which can turn into hostility among supporters. Football, in particular, has a long history of fan violence , during Euro 2016, for instance, English and Russian fans clashed violently in the streets of Marseille. Moreover, such events are often exploited for political purposes. Political parties take advantage of such events and cause the fight against people of different cultures and traditions

To recapitulate, although the international tournaments strengthen global ties, these can create a sense of rivalry which can sometimes lead to hostility. As long as national pride and politics remain closely tied to these competitions, their potential to bring countries together will remain limited.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses both views and gives a clear, consistent position: although sporting events can foster contact, you argue that they more often intensify rivalry and hostility. The examples of the two Koreas marching together and English and Russian fans clashing in Marseille make the discussion relevant and help support the contrast. Your conclusion also returns to the central argument. To develop the response further, explain more precisely how the shared venue and cultural exchange lead to lasting cooperation, and clarify the claim that political parties use events to provoke conflict; this point is currently asserted rather than illustrated. Some claims, such as tournaments dividing nations more often, would also benefit from qualification or further evidence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear overall progression: an introduction presents the debate and your view, the body paragraphs consider the two sides, and the conclusion summarises your position. Linking expressions such as “On the one hand,” “Nevertheless,” and “To recapitulate” make the structure easy to follow, while the examples are placed alongside the relevant claims. Some cohesion is less controlled within sentences: “Therefore, they share the traditions and culture with each other, as a result, increasing the understanding” joins ideas awkwardly and repeats the cause-and-effect link. The political point also ends abruptly, without a specific example or a clear link back to the argument. Use fewer formulaic transitions and make relationships between claims more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a reasonably varied range suited to the topic, including “promote cooperation,” “breed rivalry,” “national pride,” and “political purposes.” These choices help express the contrast between unity and division, and the meaning is generally clear. However, some collocations and word choices are imprecise: “organised on a shared venue” is not natural, and “cause the fight against people of different cultures” does not clearly convey the intended idea. There are also spelling and spacing slips, including “dfferent” and “violence ,”. To strengthen lexical control, choose more idiomatic combinations and check spelling and punctuation spacing carefully. More precise wording would also help distinguish political exploitation from ordinary competition.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response attempts a mix of sentence forms, including a concessive opening (“While I acknowledge…”) and a relative clause explaining how athletes represent their countries. Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, but some grammatical and punctuation problems remain. “Because athletes represent their country, matches…” is a sentence fragment as written; connect it to the following clause or make it a complete sentence. The sentence beginning “Therefore” has an unclear structure, and the final body sentence lacks a full stop. There are also inconsistent spaces around punctuation. Aim to make each sentence complete and check clause boundaries, especially when using introductory dependent clauses. This would make the range already attempted more accurate and controlled.

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