Some people think hosting major international sporting events brings a lot of advantages to a country, while others believe there are more disadvantages.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 2 question on IELTSX. Some people think hosting major international sporting events brings a lot of advantages to a country, while others believe there are more disadvantages.

Some people think hosting major international sporting events brings advantages while others believe more disadvantages - IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Write at least 250 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 7.5 · 296 words.

In today’s rapidly globalizing world, people have different views as to whether hosting a global sports competition is beneficial for the nation or not. While there are certain advantages in terms of infrastructure and tourism, I believe that it does more harm than good regarding financial crisis.

Without a doubt, it is clear that infrastructure, tourism and even transport of the country can gain economic benefits. If the government decides to organize sports events, a large number of tourists are more likely to visit from starting up until the end of the competition to the point where they undoubtedly use public transport, hotels, restaurants, and other public services. As a result, a substantial amount of foreign currency flows into the local economy, thereby fostering overall economic growth. In a world where every country which staged a major sporting event witnessed a significant financial boost, proving that such events are highly lucrative.

However, in my opinion, hosting such grand events often triggers severe economic instability for the host nation. As long as governments pour billions of dollars into building mega-stadiums, these projects rarely generate sustainable long-term profits, which in turn drains the national budget and diverts funds away from essential public sectors like healthcare. Consequently, the state is forced to take out massive international loans, so much so that the entire country becomes heavily burdened with national debt for decades to come. A good case in point is my country of Uzbekistan, where huge financial resources were recently allocated to construct world-class arenas for international youth championships, thereby causing a temporary budget deficit in rural educational infrastructure.

In conclusion, although staging global sports competitions can temporarily boost tourism and modernize urban transport, I contend that the long-term financial risks and unsustainable debts outweigh these brief economic benefits.

Examiner feedback

This is a strong response that demonstrates a high level of lexical control and a clear, logical structure. The writer effectively balances both sides of the argument while maintaining a firm personal stance, though a minor grammatical fragment in the second paragraph slightly impacts the accuracy score.

Task Response - 8

- All parts of the task are addressed, and a clear position is maintained throughout the essay. - Ideas are well-supported with relevant examples, particularly the mention of Uzbekistan's infrastructure spending. - The response is well-developed, though the connection between 'infrastructure' and 'harm' could be slightly more nuanced regarding maintenance costs.

Coherence & Cohesion - 7

- Information is organized logically with a clear progression from the benefits of hosting to the significant financial drawbacks. - Cohesive devices such as 'Without a doubt', 'Consequently', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to link ideas. - Each paragraph has a clear central topic, although some referencing within the first body paragraph is slightly repetitive.

Lexical Resource - 8

- A good range of vocabulary is used with precision (e.g., 'fostering', 'lucrative', 'sustainable', 'budget deficit'). - There is an awareness of style and collocation, such as 'pouring billions', 'drains the national budget', and 'heavily burdened'. - Occasional minor phrasing issues exist but do not impede the sophistication of the writing.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 7

- A variety of complex structures is used, including conditional sentences and relative clauses. - Grammar and punctuation are generally well-controlled, though there is a significant fragment error in the first body paragraph ('In a world where...'). - Most sentences are error-free and show good flexibility.

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