Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-20

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)

There is an ongoing debate over whether sports tournaments should be organised at international levels to unite the nations or not. While a large proportion of population believes that it is a beneficial approach, others argue that it can initiate rivary among the citizens of competing nations. From my standpoint, although organising international sports tournaments facilitates strong bonding among competitors, the extreme level of competitive spirit can fuel the rivary among the nations as well.

One of the major reasons why people think that events organised at global level facilitate in bringing the nations closer is that it creates a strong bonding and connection among them. To cite an example, when a country hosts a sports event, they arrange every facility for all the teams from another nations such as arranging accommodation for them or organising get together and official meetings for discussing the games or just simply to introduce the teams to one another. Since all players attend these events and share same accommodation, it is most likely that they develop a bond with others which promotes togetherness.

On the other hand, competition is definitely a part of the sports tournament as everyone plays to win, however, extreme competitive spirit sometimes, can lead to rivary among the nations. To illustrate, the cricket match between India and Pakistan is never a healthy competition. Because of the history of these nations, their citizens consider this match as a war; therefore, they use abusive language, curse each other and also troll each others' nations on online platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and many more. As a result, international games in these countries often promote the feeling of hatred.

Taking everything into account, I finally conclude that even though organising sports tournaments at global level helps nations to grow closer, the unhealthy competition leading to rivary is the downside of this which can not be ignored. Because it not only grows tension among the nations but also makes their residents to hate one another.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both sides of the question and state a clear, balanced position: international events can build bonds, but intense rivalry can also create hostility. The examples of teams meeting during a host country’s arrangements and the India–Pakistan cricket rivalry make the discussion relevant. This meets the core task well. However, the two views are not developed equally: the first example focuses mainly on players’ accommodation and social contact, rather than showing how this brings countries or their wider populations together. The second side is more fully illustrated, but its claims about citizens’ reactions could be qualified or supported with a clearer explanation. To strengthen the response further, explain the broader diplomatic or cultural effects of events and develop your final judgement beyond restating the two sides.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion. The progression is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the other hand,” “To illustrate,” and “Taking everything into account” help readers understand the argument’s direction. Ideas within the paragraphs generally follow a logical sequence, particularly the explanation of how rivalry can lead to hostile online behaviour. Some linking is a little formulaic, and the first body paragraph moves from hosting arrangements to togetherness without fully explaining the connection to relations between nations. The conclusion also repeats the main contrast rather than drawing the reasoning together. Use referencing more precisely and add a sentence that explicitly links each example to the question of national unity or competition.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “international sports tournaments,” “competitive spirit,” “togetherness,” and “promote the feeling of hatred.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and some less common expressions show an attempt to discuss the topic precisely. However, several word-choice and collocation problems reduce naturalness: “facilitates in bringing” is awkward, “strong bonding” is less idiomatic than “strong bonds,” and “rivalry” is repeatedly misspelled as “rivary.” Phrases such as “at international levels” and “from another nations” are also imprecise. Aim for accurate, natural combinations rather than repeatedly using “organising” and “competition”; for example, use “foster international understanding” or “intensify national rivalries” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a concessive opening (“While…”) and a conditional-style explanation with “Since…”. Most meaning remains clear, and the longer sentences show an effort to connect causes and results. Some grammatical errors persist, however. In “a large proportion of population,” the article is missing; “it creates” does not agree clearly with the plural subject “events”; and “Because of the history…” is written as a sentence fragment after a full stop. There are also problems with number and sentence construction in “makes their residents to hate one another.” Review subject–verb agreement, articles, and how subordinate clauses attach to main clauses. More consistent control of these patterns would make the complex sentences easier to read.

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