The best way to teach children to cooperate is through team sports at school. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
Teaching children to cooperate is an essential part of their personal and social development. Some believe that team sports atin school are the most effective method of developing cooperation skillsmethod for instilling cooperation skills. While I acknowledge why this view is persuasivethe reasons behind this view, I believe these sports are not the only or necessarily the best way to promote cooperation among children.
On the one hand, team sports offer a natural environment for learning how to work with others. Specifically, in games such asin games like football, basketball, or volleyball, children must communicate, share responsibilities, and support one another to achieve a common goal. These interactions teach them the value of teamwork, patience, and trust. Moreover, team sports often involve experiencing both victory and defeatdealing with both winning and losing, which can help students develop empathy and resilience—two qualities closely linked to cooperative behavior. In many school settings, physical education programs are specifically designed to encourage collaboration, making sports a practical and engaging way to promote cooperation.
On the other hand, while team sports are beneficial, they may not be the most inclusive or effective method for every childmost inclusive or universally effective method. This is mainly becauseThe main reason for this is that not all children enjoy sports, and some may feel left out due to differences in ability, confidence, or physical limitations. Therefore, relying solely on sports may exclude children who could thrive in other collaborative settingsother cooperative environments. In comparison, group projects in the classroom, school clubs, or drama performances also require students to collaborate, make collective decisions, and resolve conflicts together. These activities can be more accessible and appealing to a broader range of students, allowing them to develop social and cooperative skills in settings suited to their interests and strengthscontexts that match their interests and strengths.
In conclusion, while I agree that team sports are a valuable way to teach children to cooperateteach children cooperation, I do not believe they are the only or the best method in all cases. A variety of group-based activities, both physical and non-physical, should be offered in schools to ensure that all children have the opportunity to develop strong cooperative skills in a supportive and inclusive environment.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response gives a clear, well-supported position and develops a persuasive comparison between team sports and other cooperative activities. Its organization and language are consistently strong, with the main limitation being that some points remain broadly framed rather than illustrated through specific evidence. The most useful refinement is to add one concise, concrete example while preserving the essay's direct focus and balanced reasoning.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The essay fully addresses the claim with a clear nuanced position and well-developed reasons about effectiveness and inclusion.
Strengthen the already convincing argument with one specific example showing how a non-sport activity builds cooperation.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through well-focused paragraphs, and cohesive devices guide the comparison smoothly without obscuring relationships.
Vary the conventional contrast framing slightly so the progression feels even more natural and less signposted.
Lexical Resource
A wide and precise vocabulary is used naturally to discuss cooperation, inclusion, and children's development.
Reduce minor repetition of key terms such as cooperation by using selective pronoun reference or concise reformulation.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A broad range of complex structures is handled accurately, with strong control of punctuation and sentence boundaries.
Maintain this accuracy while experimenting with slightly more varied sentence openings in the body paragraphs.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
The best way to teach children to cooperate is through team sports at school. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.