Some people believe it is better for governments to spend any available money for sports on providing facilities for the general population. Others believe that instead, they should invest in training top athletes to win major competitions. Discuss both points of view and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
The first opinion of the debate is to spending money on providing facilities for the commoners by the government while the second one argues that the investment should be for the top athletes only. This is a well-debated topic and deserves some attentionattentions. In my opinion both schools of thoughtboth the schools are correct in some respectssenses and they have some reasons to believe so. Firstly, it should be considered that the number of ordinary people is considerably higher than the number of top athletesthan the top athletes. So, they are in need of some sports facilities where they could have the chance to engage in physical activitychance of physical activities. In fact, we are all awarewe all are aware of the importance of physical activities and how they benefit us all. In my locality, there are no public parks available where people can exercisewhere the people can take some exercises in the morning or eveningin morning or evening hours. So, the number of patients with physical disorders like diabetes, obesity, heart disease etc. is on the rise in my locality here in Jakarta and the issue was covered in the local newspapersgot covered on the local dailies as well. The government in a countrycounty should be more focused on improving the public health than winning some trophies. On the other handOn the contrary, top athletes are assets for a nation. Their failure in any competition is athe disgrace for the entire state. Unless they are trained in a perfect manner, they would be unable to participate in major competitions and bring the desired recognition to the countrybring the desired fame for the country. So, proper traininga proper training is a must for them. It would really be a humiliation when media will cover stories over their failures in international sporting events and if that happens for lack of government appreciation. Therefore, considering both the arguments, I think the government should strikemake a balance between the two. Usually, physical activities make people fit and help them become an effective workforcehelp to be an effective workforce. So, if the general populationthe mass people turn physically inactive, an economic disaster is a must. Further, if the top athletes are ignored, it will be a disgrace for the nation. Hence, I believethe I believe the government should pay attention to both casesin both the case equally.
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response is strongest in its direct coverage of both spending priorities and its clear preference for a balanced allocation, with a relevant public-health example. Its main limitation is uneven control: the elite-athlete case relies on exaggerated assertions, and the single-block presentation weakens readability. The highest-priority improvement is to organise the argument into clear paragraphs and develop the second view through realistic explanation rather than repeated claims about national disgrace.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are discussed and a consistent balanced opinion is given, although the case for elite-athlete funding is less convincingly developed.
Support the elite-athlete view with a realistic benefit, such as participation, funding, or national sporting development, instead of relying mainly on disgrace.
Coherence and Cohesion
The argument follows a discernible sequence and uses clear linking expressions, but presenting the entire essay as one paragraph substantially weakens organisation.
Separate the introduction, each viewpoint, and the conclusion into purposeful paragraphs while reducing mechanical links such as repeated 'So'.
Lexical Resource
The response shows adequate range for public health and sport, but frequent awkward collocations and inappropriate choices reduce precision.
Use natural combinations such as 'exercise,' 'the general public,' and 'government support,' and avoid loaded terms such as 'commoners'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of simple and complex forms communicates the argument clearly, though recurring errors in articles, agreement, complements, and conditionals limit control.
Prioritise correcting verb patterns and article use, then check complex conditional sentences for consistent tense and complete clause structure.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people believe it is better for governments to spend any available money for sports on providing facilities for the general population. Others believe that instead, they should invest in training top athletes to win major competitions. Discuss both points of view and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.