Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-04

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)

It is often argued that international sports meetings such as the Olympics or the Football Cup can be considered a positive way to improve countries' partnerships. At the same time, some people believe it may introduce more challenging situations among nations. In this essay, I will discuss both views with proper explanations and will give my opinion later on

One main reason why some argue that these events can bring positive consequences for countries is that they can help nations to strengthen their bonds while contributing equally in such organizations. This is because while these sports activities happen, players and the organization management come together and perform their duties equally, creating a sense of teamwork among them. For instance, in competitions like the Football Cup, teams from around the world can get a chance to meet each other while competing, which could help them to understand others' feelings and emotions and bring prosperity among countries. Secondly, they may learn about each other's traditions and customs and express their respect while communicating, which could not only make good friendships but also show their respect for each others .

However, the fact behind others' beliefs is that it may put pressure on the sportspeople and even on the managing parties while there are huge competitions. This is mainly because sometimes a team from another territory give a hard time with their well-played techniques. For instance, it can be seen in many Olympic tournaments that some players have good knowledge and skills about games, and they may bridge a gap between others' success. Moreover, it can be a problematic for developing countries to compete with developed natioins' players

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You address both views by discussing how sporting events may build relationships and how competition can create pressure, and you signal that you will give your opinion. However, the response does not actually state a clear personal position: “I will give my opinion later on” is not followed by a concluding view. The positive side has some relevant explanation, such as players meeting and learning about traditions, but claims like “bring prosperity among countries” are unclear and not supported with a specific example. The opposing view focuses mainly on pressure on athletes and differences in sporting ability, rather than explaining how competition may damage friendship between countries. Develop both sides in relation to the question and finish with a direct, supported opinion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph supporting international friendship, and a paragraph presenting the opposing view. Linking expressions such as “At the same time,” “For instance,” and “However” help readers follow the broad direction. However, the discussion stops without a conclusion, so the overall progression feels incomplete and your promised opinion is missing. Some connections between ideas are also unclear: the example about skilled players “bridg[ing] a gap between others’ success” does not clearly explain the preceding point about pressure. The second paragraph also combines several ideas about teamwork, meeting, and cultural understanding. Organise each paragraph around one clear claim and explain how each example supports it.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of topic-related vocabulary, including “strengthen their bonds,” “teamwork,” “traditions and customs,” and “compete.” These choices make the general subject clear, and you attempt more formal phrasing. However, several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, which weakens the clarity of your argument: “sports meetings,” “the Football Cup,” “bring prosperity among countries,” and “bridge a gap between others’ success.” There are also spelling and word-form slips, including “natioins’” and “a problematic.” Aim for accurate collocations and use the event’s standard name, such as “the FIFA World Cup.” Prefer direct wording that precisely describes the effect of competition, rather than phrases whose meaning is difficult to infer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a subordinate clause beginning “while these sports activities happen” and a sentence using “not only … but also.” The main ideas are generally understandable, but errors in agreement, articles, and sentence control remain. For example, “a team from another territory give” should use a singular verb, and “it can be a problematic” has an incorrect article and noun form. The opening paragraph ends with “later on” but has no concluding punctuation, and the final paragraph is left without a complete closing sentence. Check subject–verb agreement and article use, and make sure every sentence is complete and punctuated. More consistently accurate complex sentences would improve control.

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