This is an IELTS writign task 2 sample answer essay from the general training exam on the topic of whether or not children should do sports in order to grow up as healthy adults.
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Dave
IELTS Essay General Training: Children and Sports
Some people believe that children should do sports so that they will grow up as healthy adults, but others feel sports are just about enjoying yourself.
Discuss these both views and give your own opinion.
Some feel that the primary reason young students should participate in sports is to establish healthy habits for adulthood, while others feel they are simply for fun. In my opinion, the later health benefits are an added bonus and sports are mainly an enjoyable pastime.
Administrators who argue sports are a means of ensuring healthy future habits believe school must be efficient. Sports are therefore no different from normal subjects such as the sciences and humanities in that they offer potential future benefit. While athletics are unlikely to become a career, they can at least form the basis of a lasting passion for and understanding of physical fitness. Such fitness not only guarantees higher quality of life but will also likely have a concomitant effect on healthcare, allowing governments to redeploy finite resources into other vital sectors.
Those who claim sports are simply for enjoyment argue that future aims should not be subordinate to the present moment. The entire purpose of education is to guarantee a higher standard of living and thus happiness. For most, playing sports achieves that goal on its own. Children enjoy playing a sport far more than most adults will savor any aspect of a comfortable life later on. If a school must choose between offering fun sports during P.E. lessons and educating children about physical fitness, it is counter-productive to choose the less enjoyable latter option. This desire to sacrifice current happiness for an often elusive future goal betrays an inflexible valuation of social stability above the desires of the individual.
In conclusion, despite the long-term advantages of sports, their inclusion in the curriculum can be justified purely for the enjoyment they engender. It is unnecessary for every single subject to have a clear future goal.
Analysis
1. Some feel that the primary reason young students should participate in sports is to establish healthy habits for adulthood, while others feel they are simply for fun. 2. In my opinion, the later health benefits are an added bonus and sports are mainly an enjoyable pastime.
- Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
- Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here.
1. Administrators who argue sports are a means of ensuring healthy future habits believe school must be efficient. 2. Sports are therefore no different from normal subjects such as the sciences and humanities in that they offer potential future benefit. 3. While athletics are unlikely to become a career, they can at least form the basis of a lasting passion for and understanding of physical fitness. 4. Such fitness not only guarantees higher quality of life but will also likely have a concomitant effect on healthcare, allowing governments to redeploy finite resources into other vital sectors.
- Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
- Explain your main idea.
- Develop it with specific examples.
- Keep developing it fully.
1. Those who claim sports are simply for enjoyment argue that future aims should not be subordinate to the present moment. 2. The entire purpose of education is to guarantee a higher standard of living and thus happiness. 3. For most, playing sports achieves that goal on its own. 4. Children enjoy playing a sport far more than most adults will savor any aspect of a comfortable life later on. 5. If a school must choose between offering fun sports during P.E. lessons and educating children about physical fitness, it is counter-productive to choose the less enjoyable latter option. 6. This desire to sacrifice current happiness for an often elusive future goal betrays an inflexible valuation of social stability above the desires of the individual.
- Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
- Explain your new main idea.
- Include specific details and examples.
- Continue developing it…
- as fully as possible!
- This paragraph should be slightly longer.
1. In conclusion, despite the long-term advantages of sports, their inclusion in the curriculum can be justified purely for the enjoyment they engender. 2. It is unnecessary for every single subject to have a clear future goal.
- Summarise your main ideas.
- Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here.
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean? Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.
Some feel that the primary reason young students should participate in sports is to establish healthy habits for adulthood, while others feel they are simply for fun. In my opinion, the later health benefits are an added bonus and sports are mainly an enjoyable pastime.
Administrators who argue sports are a means of ensuring healthy future habits believe school must be efficient. Sports are therefore no different from normal subjects such as the sciences and humanities in that they offer potential future benefit. While athletics are unlikely to become a career, they can at least form the basis of a lasting passion for and understanding of physical fitness. Such fitness not only guarantees higher quality of life but will also likely have a concomitant effect on healthcare, allowing governments to redeploy finite resources into other vital sectors.
Those who claim sports are simply for enjoyment argue that future aims should not be subordinate to the present moment. The entire purpose of education is to guarantee a higher standard of living and thus happiness. For most, playing sports achieves that goal on its own. Children enjoy playing a sport far more than most adults will savor any aspect of a comfortable life later on. If a school must choose between offering fun sports during P.E. lessons and educating children about physical fitness, it is counter-productive to choose the less enjoyable latter option. This desire to sacrifice current happiness for an often elusive future goal betrays an inflexible valuation of social stability above the desires of the individual.
In conclusion, despite the long-term advantages of sports, their inclusion in the curriculum can be justified purely for the enjoyment they engender. It is unnecessary for every single subject to have a clear future goal.
Answers
For extra practice, write an antonym (opposite word) on a piece of paper to help you remember the new vocabulary:
primary reason main cause
participate in sports take part in games
establish healthy habits start living a healthy lifestyle
adulthood being an adult
while others feel different people believe
simply merely
fun enjoyment
later health benefits future advantages for fitness
added bonus additional benefit
mainly mostly
enjoyable pastime fun hobby
administrators people in charge
means methods
ensuring guaranteeing
efficient not wasting time
therefore thus
no different from the same as
normal subjects academic areas
the sciences physics, chemistry, etc.
humanities literature, history, etc.
in that they offer because they allow for
potential possibility
unlikely probably will not happen
career job
at least at the minimum
form the basis of be the foundation of
a lasting passion for loving for a long time
understanding of knowing about
physical fitness being in shape
guarantees makes sure of
higher quality of life better standard of living
likely probably
concomitant also caused by
healthcare hospitals, medicine, etc.
allowing governments to redeploy finite resources into makes it possible for countries to put more money into other areas
vital sectors important areas
claim state
argue make the argument
should not be subordinate to should not be lower than
present moment right now
entire purpose whole reason
guarantee ensure
higher standard of living better life
thus therefore
achieves accomplishes
on its own by itself
far more a lot more
savor enjoy
any aspect of all parts of
later on in the future
offering allowing for
P.E. lessons gym lessons
physical fitness how good shape you are in
counter-productive works against your interests
latter option second stated choice
desire wanting something
sacrifice current happiness give up on being happy now
often elusive future goal probably won’t ever happen later
betrays shows/illustrates
inflexible valuation static opinions
social stability the health of society
desires of the individual interests of the average person
despite regardless of
long-term advantages benefits in the future
inclusion being included in
curriculum what you study in school
justified purely gives a good reason on its own
engender creates
unnecessary not needed
clear future goal definite aim later on
Pronunciation
Practice saying the vocabulary below and use this tip about Google voice search:
ˈpraɪməri ˈriːzn
pɑːˈtɪsɪpeɪt ɪn spɔːts
ɪsˈtæblɪʃ ˈhɛlθi ˈhæbɪts
əˈdʌlthʊd
waɪl ˈʌðəz fiːl
ˈsɪmpli
fʌn
ˈleɪtə hɛlθ ˈbɛnɪfɪts
ˈædɪd ˈbəʊnəs
ˈmeɪnli
ɪnˈʤɔɪəbl ˈpɑːstaɪm
ədˈmɪnɪstreɪtəz
miːnz
ɪnˈʃʊərɪŋ
ɪˈfɪʃənt
ˈðeəfɔː
nəʊ ˈdɪfrənt frɒm
ˈnɔːməl ˈsʌbʤɪkts
ðə ˈsaɪənsɪz
hju(ː)ˈmænɪtiz
ɪn ðæt ðeɪ ˈɒfə
pəʊˈtɛnʃəl
ʌnˈlaɪkli
kəˈrɪə
æt liːst
fɔːm ðə ˈbeɪsɪs ɒv
ə ˈlɑːstɪŋ ˈpæʃən fɔː
ˌʌndəˈstændɪŋ ɒv
ˈfɪzɪkəl ˈfɪtnɪs
ˌgærənˈtiːz
ˈhaɪə ˈkwɒlɪti ɒv laɪf
ˈlaɪkli
kənˈkɒmɪtənt
ˈhɛlθkeə
əˈlaʊɪŋ ˈgʌvnmənts tuː ˌriːdɪˈplɔɪ ˈfaɪnaɪt rɪˈsɔːsɪz ˈɪntuː
ˈvaɪtl ˈsɛktəz
kleɪm
ˈɑːgjuː
ʃʊd nɒt biː səˈbɔːdnɪt tuː
ˈprɛznt ˈməʊmənt
ɪnˈtaɪə ˈpɜːpəs
ˌgærənˈtiː
ˈhaɪə ˈstændəd ɒv ˈlɪvɪŋ
ðʌs
əˈʧiːvz
ɒn ɪts əʊn
fɑː mɔː
ˈseɪvə
ˈɛni ˈæspɛkt ɒv
ˈleɪtər ɒn
ˈɒfərɪŋ
piː.iː. ˈlɛsnz
ˈfɪzɪkəl ˈfɪtnɪs
ˈkaʊntə-prəˈdʌktɪv
ˈlætər ˈɒpʃən
dɪˈzaɪə
ˈsækrɪfaɪs ˈkʌrənt ˈhæpɪnɪs
ˈɒf(ə)n ɪˈluːsɪv ˈfjuːʧə gəʊl
bɪˈtreɪz
ɪnˈflɛksəbl ˌvæljʊˈeɪʃən
ˈsəʊʃəl stəˈbɪlɪti
dɪˈzaɪəz ɒv ði ˌɪndɪˈvɪdjʊəl
dɪsˈpaɪt
ˈlɒŋtɜːm ədˈvɑːntɪʤɪz
ɪnˈkluːʒən
kəˈrɪkjʊləm
ˈʤʌstɪfaɪd ˈpjʊəli
ɪnˈʤɛndə
ʌnˈnɛsɪsəri
klɪə ˈfjuːʧə gəʊl
Vocabulary Practice
I recommend getting a pencil and piece of paper because that aids memory. Then write down the missing vocabulary from my sample answer in your notebook:
Some feel that the p______________n young students should p_____________________s is to e_____________________s for a___________d, w_______________________l they are s________y for f___n. In my opinion, the l______________________s are an a________________s and sports are m_______y an e_________________e.
A_________________s who argue sports are a m________s of e___________g healthy future habits believe school must be e__________t. Sports are t____________e n___________________m n__________________s such as t_______________s and h______________s i___________________r p___________l future benefit. While athletics are u___________y to become a c_______r, they can a______________________________________________r and u__________________f p___________________s. Such fitness not only g______________________________e but will also l__________y have a c__________________t effect on h_____________e, a__________________________________________________o other v______________s.
Those who c_______m sports are simply for enjoyment a__________e that future aims s________________________________o the p________________t. The e_________________e of education is to g______________e a h______________________________g and t______s happiness. For most, playing sports a___________s that goal o_____________n. Children enjoy playing a sport f_____________e than most adults will s_________r a______________f a comfortable life l___________n. If a school must choose between o_________g fun sports during P_______________s and educating children about p_______________s, it is c____________________e to choose the less enjoyable l________________n. This d________e to s_____________________________s for an o__________________________l b___________s an i_________________________n of s__________________________y above the d_____________________________l.
In conclusion, d__________e the l________________________s of sports, their i______________n in the c_____________m can be j__________________y for the enjoyment they e______________r. It is u________________y for every single subject to have a c__________________l.
Listening Practice
Learn more about this topic in the video below and practice with these activities:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lErfjqbE9Y
Reading Practice
Read more about this topic and use these ideas to practice:
https://www.insider.com/youngest-and-oldest-athletes-competing-in-tokyo-olympics-2020
Speaking Practice
Practice with the following speaking questions from the real IELTS speaking exam:
Sports
- Which sport do you like to play?
- Have you ever been on a sports team?
- Do you like watching sports on TV?
Writing Practice
Practice with the related IELTS essay topic below:
Extreme sports such as sky diving and skiing are very dangerous and should be banned.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this view?
betrays shows/illustrates… Shouldnt this be potrays.
Thanks for the question, Ree.
The word is a little strong for academic writing, it is a little more literary but I thought I would include it for students to get something new.
It basically means reveals (even more than shows/illustrates) – that would be the more academic collocation.
Portrays doesn’t quite capture how it is used in this context.