IELTS Sports Essay – IELTS Writing Task 2 Samples & Tips

Writing task 2 in the IELTS test includes essays where the candidate’s writing skills are tested. The applicants must choose from the list of essay topics given in the question paper and write a 250 words excerpt justifying the topic to get good marks. 

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What qualifies as an essay worthy of a band score of 6.5 or more depends on the person checking the exam, but there are some ground rules which you must follow. While these rules apply to everyone giving the exam, your content, vocabulary usage, punctuation, coherence, and other essential things makes the essay better. 

Useful Tips for Writing an IELTS Essay

For the sports IELTS writing task 2, here are a few tips and tricks to improve your band score. 

• Outline
• Vocabulary
• Familiarity with the topic
• Time management
• Satisfying the requirements

We will now discuss these individually to get a better understanding.  

Outline: The essay outline should be clear and precisely related to the topic. This means that at no point in the essay your content should digress from the core points. 

The standard outline includes an introduction, the main content body, and the conclusion. Specifically, the introduction should have the power to immediately hook the reader to your essay and provide an overview of your ideas and what the reader will find in the main content body. 

So make sure that you are investing some time creating a rough outline of your essay before you start writing. An outline will ensure that you stick to the topic and present relevant ideas. 

Vocabulary: An important aspect of your sports essay IELTS exam is using the right words that demonstrate your hold over the English language. Not to mention your knowledge about the subject matter, in this case, sports. So, make sure to use some sports-specific terms in the essay. 

With the other types of words that you will be using, too, it is important to ensure relevance, placement, and understanding. The words you write must be legible and rightly placed in context. 

Familiarity with the topic: Nobody is expecting you to be aware of a topic in detail. But you should have some idea about the current and trending topics. In sports, topics like substance use in sportspersons, steroids, the credibility of the notion that sports are dangerous, children in sports, and a few more are always current.

The topics in the IELTS exam may also revolve around the same. For instance —

1. Some people think dangerous sports should be banned, while others think people should choose for themselves. (Academic Test, 2017).
2. Many countries want to host international sports events, while other countries think that hosting sports events has more problems than benefits. Discuss both views. (GT Test, 2017).

These two topics were taken from previous years’ IELTS exam question papers. As you can see, the topics are not very specific. They can be easily answered provided you understand the general things involved here. Plus, to gain a better score, you must cite relevant examples to justify the points you will mention in the exam. 

Time Management: You cannot and should not spend too much time writing the IELTS essay. The ideal time to spend on this task is 40 minutes, and that too, considering the time you need to plan, understand, write, and review. 

So, if you are taking more time than this today, start practising and bring it down to under 40 minutes. Writing 250 words should not take more than 20 minutes. The other 20 minutes you need to spend on planning and other tasks. 

One of the main reasons examinees spend more than 40 minutes is their failure to process their thoughts or they get confused with what to write. So, move back to the first point where we talked about the IELTS writing task 2 sports topic outline. 

Following the outline can help you complete the task on time. You will be able to process your thoughts easily without deviating from the topic. 

Relevant Response: The IELTS writing task 2 is about academic writing. Your prerogative must be to present all the pointers. For instance, “Some people think that dangerous sports should be banned, while others think people should be free to choose.” In this topic, you need to write about both perspectives.

One is for the argument, and the second is against the idea. In both, you need to cite relevant examples to justify your statements and end the discussion with your point of view and rationale behind choosing it. 

The academic writing test will mostly ask you to write different perspectives within the 250 words limit. So, while attempting this test, make sure that you present all the information with the pointers mentioned above. Most importantly, do not mix the ‘for’ and ‘against’ arguments at any point.

Sample Answer for IELTS Essay on Sports

Below you will find an essay on a sports topic that we have chosen at random. The model essay is written according to the 6.5 band score. So, writing this type of essay can get you a good score. Make sure to follow every statement and the presentation followed in the essay. 

Some people say that sports must be included in the school curriculum. However, others hold the opinion that it shouldn’t be there as it can lead to wasting time, which can be utilised for more effective academic training. 

Discuss both perspectives and give your own opinion. 

Answer:

Students nowadays are expected to learn a wide gamut of subjects. This makes some people believe that athletics or sports should be a part of the school curriculum. However, others believe that sports take time in learning, practising, and then training. I think that sports should be a part of the school program and should be started from an early age. Today, we will elaborate on both sides of the argument to paint a better picture. 

Going into sports means the students can start doing some physical activity at an early age. Any type of physical activity helps increase the blood flow to the brain, which finetunes our neurons while promoting cell growth. 

Sports plays an important role for students as they become mentally capable of learning new things and physically capable of investing time in studying. I think that going into sports will make a student active, more knowledgeable, and social because they make friends while playing. 

The naysayers believe that the time students spend on sports can be otherwise invested in becoming better at academics. Being good at academics is essential as it helps students become intelligent and successful. Hence, parents don’t like their kids participating in sports because they don’t want them to be distracted from studying. 

As you can see, some parents wish to see their kids playing sports, and others don’t share the same feeling. But, I think that sports is an integral part of education and both of them must be developed simultaneously. 

Analysis:

The essay above satisfies the requirements of the task. We have stuck to the word limit and used some relevant words relevant to the topic. You don’t have room to write too much or too little in the IELTS writing task. So, the task is to find a balance between both arguments. 

Provide reasoning for your own knowledge and coherently present the information. 

Additional Practice Essays on Sports

Now that you have a good understanding of how to write an excellent essay, here are some more questions that you can use to improve your writing skills. Just remember to use the information provided in this blog to get top scores.

• With the increasing incidence of puberty and being overweight, some people think sports should become a part of the school and university curriculum. To what extent do you agree with this point? Elaborate.
• Should violent sports like boxing and other forms of martial arts be banned from broadcasting on TV and in international sports events like the Olympics? Discuss and justify your opinions. 
• Sports are great for learning how to work with the team, but some parents think it teaches the vice of competing. Share your opinion and discuss both views. 

While you work on these topics, make sure to understand what is asked and write accordingly. You need to justify your requirements and present the information in an easy-to-understand manner. 

To get instant feedback and evaluation on your essays, you can also opt for Leap Scholar’s SmartTests

Conclusion

Attempting the IELTS essay on sports and exercise can turn out in your favour as it’s one of the most recurring topics, provided you do it right.  

Since writing about sports, leisure activities or any topic in the essay test can be easy if you have prior knowledge. A lack of knowledge can confuse you about what to write. Hence, ensure that you build some prior understanding of how to write a sports essay IELTS writing task 2 and stay updated with the subject matter to score good marks.