Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-21

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 6.0)

Nowadays, sports are no longer played at a national level, rather they are held internationally. The international events serve as a way of increasing cooperation between countries. However, some people argue that it can lead to competition as people are passionate about sports. I believe the latter because these events encourage diversity and a sense of joy when players perform great feats.

International sports events can often foster a feeling of serious competition, and resentment among the losing team's country. For example, Indians and Pakistanis consider cricket as a major part of their identity. Whenever there is a match between the two countries, the atmosphere turns extremely competitive and there is often a rift between these two nations due their tumultuous history, The losing team not only loses the game, but the loss is also tied with the nation's respect in the world. Players of the losing team are often mocked, for example effigies of Indian players are often burned when they lose a match. Therefore, when countries take sports extremely seriously and make it a matter of respect, the game loses its real purpose. However, these cases are some of the exceptions, because international games are a great way to promote cooperation among countries.

Events held internationally can serve as a way to bring talented individuals from different countries together and share their experiences. Olympics or the Football Worldcup are some events where the host country invites various countries to participate. Not only do players get to meet other diverse nationalities, but the audience sitting in the arena or watching from the comfort of their home feel joy and pride when anyone, regardless of their nationality, performs exceptionally. The biggest example of this is football competitions, where people who do not even have a team, feel happy when their player scores a difficult goal. People in Pakistan feel proud when Christiano Ronaldo, a portugese player, wins the worldcup. Therefore, sports are major way in which goodwill and friendship among the countries can be encouraged.

In conclusion, international sporting events might increase competition among nations however, that happens rarely. In contrast, they can foster good relations between countries due diversity and exceptional performances of players.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response discusses both views and gives a clear overall preference for the idea that international events can build goodwill, while acknowledging that rivalry can create resentment. The India–Pakistan cricket example supports the competition side, and the discussion of athletes and spectators sharing excitement is relevant to the friendship side. However, the position is not fully consistent: the introduction says, “I believe the latter,” which appears to endorse competition, while the conclusion favours cooperation. Clarify this stance from the outset. Some claims also need fuller explanation, particularly the assertion that hostile reactions are “some of the exceptions”; explain why cooperation is generally more common or provide a more balanced example. This would make the response’s reasoning more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. Examples are generally placed with the relevant argument, and signposting such as “For example,” “However,” and “In conclusion” helps readers follow the discussion. Some connections are less clear or mechanical, though. The introduction’s “I believe the latter” conflicts with the conclusion, interrupting the progression of the argument. In the first body paragraph, “However, these cases are some of the exceptions” does not clearly explain how the preceding example leads to the claim that cooperation is more typical. The final paragraph also compresses the contrast into one sentence. Make the position consistent and use clearer links between evidence and the point it supports.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

There is an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “foster,” “resentment,” “tumultuous history,” “diverse nationalities,” and “goodwill.” These choices help express both rivalry and cooperation, and the meaning is generally clear. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise, such as “believe the latter” when the intended view is unclear, “a rift between these two nations” for the relationship during a match, and “a major part of their identity.” There are also spelling and form slips, including “portugese” and “Worldcup.” Aim for more natural phrasing and check proper nouns and compound forms. More precise vocabulary would help distinguish sporting rivalry from lasting hostility between countries.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex structures, including the inversion in “Not only do players get to meet” and subordinate clauses such as “when players perform great feats.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, but some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. For example, “there is often a rift between these two nations due their tumultuous history” is missing “to,” and “sports are major way” needs an article. The sentence ending “history, The losing team” incorrectly joins two sentences with a comma and capital letter. In the conclusion, punctuation around “however” is also faulty. Review articles, prepositions, and sentence boundaries, while continuing to use varied sentence patterns.

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