Some people believe that sport has an important role in society. Others, however, feel that it is nothing more than a leisure activity for some people. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
Sports have always been a part of human culture, yet opinions differ regarding their significance. Some argue that sports are merely recreational activities that entertain peopleprovide amusement for individuals, while others believe they serve a broader purpose in society by promoting health, unity, and discipline. This essay will examine both perspectives and argue thatbefore asserting that sports play a vital role in society beyond mere leisure.
Many believe that sports are simply a source of entertainment rather than an essential part of societyan essential societal component. They argue that most people engage in sports for personal enjoyment, stress relief, or fitness, without any wider social impactwithout any wider impact. Moreover, professional sports, despite their global appeal, are primarily driven by commercial interests, focusing on entertainment rather than social development. For instance, professional leagues such as the Premier League and the NBAmajor sporting events like the Premier League or NBA generate billions in revenue but do not necessarily help solve societal issuescontribute to solving societal issues such as poverty or inequality.
By contrastOn the contrary, sports have undeniable societal benefits. Firstly, they encourage a healthy lifestyle, reducing the risk of obesity, heart disease, and mental health issues. Governments worldwide invest in sports programmes to promote public health and reduce healthcare costs. Secondly, sports unite people across cultures and backgrounds, fostering a sense of community and national pride. Events like the Olympics bring nations together, transcending political and cultural differences. For example, Nelson Mandela used the 1995 Rugby World Cup to unite South Africa, demonstrating the unifying power of sports.
In conclusion, while it is somewhat true that some people participate in sport purely for recreationsome engage in sports purely for recreation, the broader contributions of sport to public health, social unity, and the economybroader impact of sports on public health, social unity, and economic benefits remain significantcannot be ignored. Therefore, sports should be regarded as an integral part of society rather than merely a leisure activity.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response handles both views clearly, maintains a decisive opinion, and develops the social value of sport with relevant examples and highly controlled language. Its main weakness is minor inconsistency: discipline is announced but not developed, while economic benefits appear only in the conclusion. The highest-priority improvement is to keep every supporting point aligned across the introduction, body, and conclusion.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both perspectives and the writer's opinion are directly addressed with relevant, well-extended support.
Ensure that claims introduced or concluded, such as discipline and economic benefits, are explicitly developed in the body.
Coherence and Cohesion
The argument follows a clear progression, with well-focused paragraphs and cohesive links that are easy to follow.
Improve whole-essay alignment by carrying the same supporting points consistently from the thesis through to the conclusion.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and natural, enabling nuanced discussion of recreation, public health, commerce, and social unity.
Refine occasional broad expressions such as societal issues by naming the exact relationship being argued.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A broad range of sentence forms is used accurately and flexibly, with virtually no noticeable grammatical errors.
Continue using complex structures selectively while favouring the most concise form when several clauses express related ideas.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people believe that sport has an important role in society. Others, however, feel that it is nothing more than a leisure activity for some people. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.