Plan this opinion essay about sport with the ideas and outline below, write it on a 40-minute timer, then compare it with a band-8 model answer.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Success in international sport brings a country more benefits than any other kind of achievement.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
Pick two or three points from one or both columns. You do not need all of them, and your own examples score better than memorised ones.
Spend the first few minutes planning, then write.
0 words of 250 minimum
Your answer stays on this page only. Copy it before you leave.
Write your own answer first, then compare: how it answers the exact question, what each paragraph does, and which phrases you could borrow.
Some argue that winning in international sport benefits a country more than any other kind of success. I disagree with this view, although I accept that sporting triumphs can have valuable effects.
There are real benefits to sporting victories. They create a strong feeling of pride and unity, bringing together people of different backgrounds who celebrate in the streets and support the same team. The 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa, for example, helped to unite a divided nation. Success can also attract tourists and investors by drawing attention to the country, and it may inspire young people to take up sport and lead healthier lives.
However, I do not believe these advantages compare with the benefits of other achievements. Progress in education, science and medicine improves people's lives in lasting ways. A country that educates its citizens well, develops new medicines or builds a strong economy gains long-term advantages, such as higher living standards, better health and greater influence abroad. By contrast, the pleasure of a sporting victory is often temporary; the excitement fades within weeks, and ordinary problems such as unemployment or poor services remain. Furthermore, the pursuit of medals can be expensive. Elite training centres and stadiums cost large sums, and in countries where resources are limited, this money could be spent more productively on hospitals and schools.
Nevertheless, sport and other achievements need not be seen as competing. A country can celebrate its athletes while also investing in the areas that bring deeper and longer-lasting progress.
In conclusion, success in international sport offers national pride and some economic gains, but achievements in education, science and economic development provide more significant and durable benefits, so I do not agree with the statement.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| national pride | feeling proud of one's country |
| gold medal | top prize |
| win international recognition | become known worldwide |
| unite a nation | bring people together |
| tangible benefits | clear practical gains |
| short-lived | lasting briefly |
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