IELTS Task 2 discussion essay: Sports funding for top athletes
A Task 2 discussion question. Explain both views fairly, then give your own opinion. The question asks for all three, so an essay on one side only answers part of it.
2 students’ essays below, each marked by Axiom, from band 7.0 to 8.0. Updated on 28 September 2026.
The question
Some people think that governments should spend more money on sports facilities for top athletes, while others argue that this money should be spent on sports facilities for ordinary people. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Students’ essays on this question, marked by Axiom
Across these 2 essays the average band is 7.5: Task Response 8.0, Coherence and Cohesion 7.5, Lexical Resource 7.5, Grammatical Range and Accuracy 7.5. Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy were the weakest criteria.
Real answers, shared without their writers’ names, newest first. Each opens with its revisions marked in place. Estimated by AI. It isn’t an official IELTS score.
Overall band, an AI estimate: 8.0
Essay #2
Task response 8.0, coherence 8.0, vocabulary 8.0, grammar 8.0
There is a debate between people about whether governments should spend more money on sports facilities for professional athletes or on those for ordinary people. While…
Overall band, an AI estimate: 7.0
Essay #1
Task response 8.0, coherence 7.0, vocabulary 7.0, grammar 7.0
As we approach a world of changing social norms and behaviors, the question of whether governments should spend money on sports facilities for top athletes, or whether…
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