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:
Professional sportspeople are paid far too much compared with people in other jobs such as nurses and teachers.
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 top sportspeople earn millions each year, while nurses and teachers receive modest salaries. I agree to a large extent that this imbalance is unjustified, though I understand the reasons for it.
The main argument against high sporting salaries concerns the value of the work. Nurses care for the sick and teachers shape the next generation, and society could not function without them. A footballer, on the other hand, provides entertainment. When rewards are so different, it sends a message that kicking a ball matters more than saving lives or educating children. Huge salaries also increase inequality, as a small number of athletes become extremely wealthy while essential workers find it difficult to afford housing. Moreover, I do not think a short career justifies enormous pay. Even if an athlete can only compete for ten or fifteen years, the earnings of a single season can exceed what a teacher makes in a lifetime.
Defenders of high pay make some valid points. Sport generates enormous public demand, and clubs earn billions from tickets, broadcasting rights and merchandise, so players are paid out of revenue that they help to create. This money comes from private business and consumers who choose to spend it, not from taxes, unlike the salaries of public sector workers. In addition, athletes face a high risk of injury that can end a career suddenly, and few of them reach the top.
Even so, the fact that the market rewards sport so generously does not mean the outcome is fair. Governments should make sure that teachers and nurses are paid enough to reflect their importance, rather than trying to limit what athletes earn.
In conclusion, sportspeople's salaries are excessive compared with those of vital professions, although the economics of sport explain why they are so high.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| astronomical salary | extremely high pay |
| market value | price based on demand |
| contribution to society | benefit given to others |
| lucrative | producing a lot of money |
| public service | work for the community |
| prize money | money won in a competition |
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