This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of the role of sports in society and how important they are from the real IELTS exam.
Please consider supporting me on Patreon.com/howtodoielts to receive my exclusive IELTS Ebooks – you can even sign up for private live lessons with me!
Dave
IELTS Essay: The Role of Sports in Society
Some people think that sports play an important role in society. Others think they are nothing more than a leisure activity.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Many feel sports play an essential role in society while others believe they are simply for entertainment and relaxation. From my point of view, though their stated purpose is leisure, sports serve key social and psychological purposes.
The claim that sports are largely just a leisure pastime is based on self-evident facts. Most people watch or participate in sports to release pressure and do not take them as seriously as other parts of life. For example, in England, football is the national sport and many individuals will play in amateur matches, follow their local team, and discuss sports with friends and family. Each of these activities can be broadly defined as a way of relaxing and a purposefully unproductive and enjoyable use of free time. If polled, the majority of individuals would state sports are an important yet entirely recreational part of their lives.
Nonetheless, sports in fact play the essential role of satisfying a number of deep psychological needs. The average sports fan invests a tremendous amount of time and self-esteem in the success or failure of their team. When the team wins, they can bask in the reflected glory and feel proud vicariously. Research has shown that even when a team loses, there is concomitant and addictive communal sensation of misery. Added to this are the variety of human drives that are satisfied by talking about the team, thinking about them in one’s spare time, reading and watching sports media, and being outraged or excited about team transactions. This all takes place within a welcoming community of like-minded individuals that approves of and normalizes this social behavior.
To conclude, despite the ostensible purpose of sports to entertain, they actually allow individuals to satisfy a range of crucial human desires. This makes sports a healthy hobby when not taken to obsessive extremes.
Analysis
1. Many feel sports play an essential role in society while others believe they are simply for entertainment and relaxation. 2. From my point of view, though their stated purpose is leisure, sports serve key social and psychological purposes.
- Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
- Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here.
1. The claim that sports are largely just a leisure pastime is based on self-evident facts. 2. Most people watch or participate in sports to release pressure and do not take them as seriously as other parts of life. 3. For example, in England, football is the national sport and many individuals will play in amateur matches, follow their local team, and discuss sports with friends and family. 4. Each of these activities can be broadly defined as a way of relaxing and a purposefully unproductive and enjoyable use of free time. 5. If polled, the majority of individuals would state sports are an important yet entirely recreational part of their lives.
- 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.
- Stay focused on the same main idea.
1. Nonetheless, sports in fact play the essential role of satisfying a number of deep psychological needs. 2. The average sports fan invests a tremendous amount of time and self-esteem in the success or failure of their team. 3. When the team wins, they can bask in the reflected glory and feel proud vicariously. 4. Research has shown that even when a team loses, there is concomitant and addictive communal sensation of misery. 5. Added to this are the variety of human drives that are satisfied by talking about the team, thinking about them in one’s spare time, reading and watching sports media, and being outraged or excited about team transactions. 6. This all takes place within a welcoming community of like-minded individuals that approves of and normalizes this social behavior.
- 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!
- Conclude with a strong statement.
1. To conclude, despite the ostensible purpose of sports to entertain, they actually allow individuals to satisfy a range of crucial human desires. 2. This makes sports a healthy hobby when not taken to obsessive extremes.
- 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.
Many feel sports play an essential role in society while others believe they are simply for entertainment and relaxation. From my point of view, though their stated purpose is leisure, sports serve key social and psychological purposes.
The claim that sports are largely just a leisure pastime is based on self-evident facts. Most people watch or participate in sports to release pressure and do not take them as seriously as other parts of life. For example, in England, football is the national sport and many individuals will play in amateur matches, follow their local team, and discuss sports with friends and family. Each of these activities can be broadly defined as a way of relaxing and a purposefully unproductive and enjoyable use of free time. If polled, the majority of individuals would state sports are an important yet entirely recreational part of their lives.
Nonetheless, sports in fact play the essential role of satisfying a number of deep psychological needs. The average sports fan invests a tremendous amount of time and self-esteem in the success or failure of their team. When the team wins, they can bask in the reflected glory and feel proud vicariously. Research has shown that even when a team loses, there is concomitant and addictive communal sensation of misery. Added to this are the variety of human drives that are satisfied by talking about the team, thinking about them in one’s spare time, reading and watching sports media, and being outraged or excited about team transactions. This all takes place within a welcoming community of like-minded individuals that approves of and normalizes this social behavior.
To conclude, despite the ostensible purpose of sports to entertain, they actually allow individuals to satisfy a range of crucial human desires. This makes sports a healthy hobby when not taken to obsessive extremes.
Answers
For extra practice, write an antonym (opposite word) on a piece of paper to help you remember the new vocabulary:
play an essential role have an important place
while in contrast
simply basically
entertainment something to watch
relaxation a way to chill out
from my point of view in my opinion
stated purpose ostensible reason
serve key social have importance for communities
psychological purposes reasons related to how people think and behave
claim state
largely mostly
leisure pastime hobby in their freetime
based on has its foundation in
self-evident facts obvious truths
participate in do
release pressure de-stress
do not take them as seriously as other parts of life don’t consider it as important as other things in life
national sport most popular sport in a country
amateur matches not professional games
follow closely watch
local team team from your area
discuss talk about
broadly defined widely described
purposefully unproductive intentionally not for a productive reason
enjoyable fun
polled asked questions
state say
yet entirely recreational however just for fun
nonetheless regardless
essential key
satisfying makes you feel fulfilled
deep psychological needs real human desires
invests puts time and money into
tremendous significant
self-esteem how you feel about yourself
failure unsuccessful
bask feel happy/proud, revel in
reflected glory the success of others shining on you
feel proud vicariously feel good about yourself due to the successes of others
research has shown that studies indicate
concomitant related and caused by
addictive can’t stop doing it
communal related to the community and people around your
sensation of misery feeling of unhappiness
added to this also
variety lots of different types
drives desires
satisfied fulfilled
sports media people talking about sports on shows, sites, etc.
outraged angered by
excited feel excitement
transactions making trades, signing players, etc.
takes place happens
within a welcoming community in a group of people who accept you
like-minded individuals similar people
approves of satisfied with
normalizes makes it seem normal
social behavior actions in public and around others
despite regardless of
ostensible purpose stated reason
actually in fact
satisfy fulfill
range wide variety of
crucial human desires important drives in people
healthy hobby worthwhile pastime
not taken not done
obsessive extremes caring too much about
Pronunciation
Practice saying the vocabulary below and use this tip about Google voice search:
pleɪ ən ɪˈsɛnʃəl rəʊl
waɪl
ˈsɪmpli
ˌɛntəˈteɪnmənt
ˌriːlækˈseɪʃən
frɒm maɪ pɔɪnt ɒv vjuː
ˈsteɪtɪd ˈpɜːpəs
sɜːv kiː ˈsəʊʃəl
ˌsaɪkəˈlɒʤɪkəl ˈpɜːpəsɪz
kleɪm
ˈlɑːʤli
ˈlɛʒə ˈpɑːstaɪm
beɪst ɒn
sɛlf-ˈɛvɪdənt fækts
pɑːˈtɪsɪpeɪt ɪn
rɪˈliːs ˈprɛʃə
duː nɒt teɪk ðɛm æz ˈsɪərɪəsli æz ˈʌðə pɑːts ɒv laɪf
ˈnæʃənl spɔːt
ˈæmətə(ː) ˈmæʧɪz
ˈfɒləʊ
ˈləʊkəl tiːm
dɪsˈkʌs
ˈbrɔːdli dɪˈfaɪnd
ˈpɜːpəsfʊli ˌʌnprəˈdʌktɪv
ɪnˈʤɔɪəbl
pəʊld
steɪt
jɛt ɪnˈtaɪəli ˌrɛkrɪˈeɪʃənl
ˌnʌnðəˈlɛs
ɪˈsɛnʃəl
ˈsætɪsfaɪɪŋ
diːp ˌsaɪkəˈlɒʤɪkəl niːdz
ɪnˈvɛsts
trɪˈmɛndəs
sɛlf-ɪsˈtiːm
ˈfeɪljə
bɑːsk
rɪˈflɛktɪd ˈglɔːri
fiːl praʊd vaɪˈkeərɪəsli
rɪˈsɜːʧ hæz ʃəʊn ðæt
kənˈkɒmɪtənt
əˈdɪktɪv
ˈkɒmjʊnl
sɛnˈseɪʃən ɒv ˈmɪzəri
ˈædɪd tuː ðɪs
vəˈraɪəti
draɪvz
ˈsætɪsfaɪd
spɔːts ˈmiːdiə
ˈaʊtreɪʤd
ɪkˈsaɪtɪd
trænˈzækʃənz
teɪks pleɪs
wɪˈðɪn ə ˈwɛlkəmɪŋ kəˈmjuːnɪti
ˈlaɪkˈmaɪndɪd ˌɪndɪˈvɪdjʊəlz
əˈpruːvz ɒv
ˈnɔːməlaɪzɪz
ˈsəʊʃəl bɪˈheɪvjə
dɪsˈpaɪt
ɒsˈtɛnsəbl ˈpɜːpəs
ˈækʧʊəli
ˈsætɪsfaɪ
reɪnʤ
ˈkruːʃəl ˈhjuːmən dɪˈzaɪəz
ˈhɛlθi ˈhɒbi
nɒt ˈteɪkən
əbˈsɛsɪv ɪksˈtriːmz
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:
Many feel sports p_______________________e in society w______e others believe they are s_________y for e________________t and r___________n. F_______________________w, though their s_______________e is leisure, sports s_________________l and p____________________s.
The c_______m that sports are l_________y just a l_____________e is b___________n s_________________s. Most people watch or p______________n sports to r__________________e and d_____________________________________________e. For example, in England, football is the n_______________t and many individuals will play in a________________s, f__________w their l_____________m, and d__________s sports with friends and family. Each of these activities can be b_______________d as a way of relaxing and a p__________________________e and e____________e use of free time. If p___________d, the majority of individuals would s________e sports are an important y________________________l part of their lives.
N_______________s, sports in fact play the e_____________l role of s___________g a number of d_____________________s. The average sports fan i___________s a t_______________s amount of time and s____________m in the success or f___________e of their team. When the team wins, they can b_____k in the r______________y and f_____________________y. R_______________________t even when a team loses, there is c______________t and a____________e c___________l s____________________y. A________________s are the v__________y of human d_________s that are s___________d by talking about the team, thinking about them in one’s spare time, reading and watching s_____________a, and being o__________d or e_________d about team t______________s. This all t_____________e w___________________________y of l_______________________s that a_________________f and n____________s this s________________r.
To conclude, d_________e the o___________________e of sports to entertain, they a___________y allow individuals to s________y a r________e of crucial h_______________s. This makes sports a h______________y when n_________n to o___________________s.
Listening Practice
Learn more about this topic in the video below and practice with these activities:
Reading Practice
Read more about this topic and use these ideas to practice:
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:
Some countries invest in specialized sports facilities for top athletes but not for the average people.
Is this a positive or negative development?
A highly controversial issue today in the air is apropos with the sports activity. Certain people asserts that it’s just a spare time activity while has a sparkling debates on other side as well. In my opinion, sports have a various effective impacts on one’s life rather than leisure time game.
Proponents are pointing out their evolution with career oppournities and health benefits. Since government has standardized the priority of sports subjects in educational centers majority of children have a scrutiny into it. It claims that students are involving in the games which take them into state or word level champion competition later on its turn out as a career changing move. For instance, VIRAT KOHLI an Indian cricketer won cricket match in streets and got chance to perform in ICICI match in 2005. This change is bringing more employment which representing nation’s economy in raising way. Apart from this, 21st century is overwhelming with advancement where an individual’s life becomes more sedentary and converted into much obesity and health regarding problems. Such sports activity maintaining one’s healthy body where outcomes are indirectly proposed with flatting down the death ratios.
Nonetheless, detractors have significant values in terms of competition. Trade depression and dearness are replacing world with everything where one’s self confidence is degrading each day. Holding a certificate-high wage job can secure the life for family as individual have to fulfill the requirements of each member in the house. Such aspects of them for gaming world are relaxation and enjoy the unproductive times into it. If polled, majority people voted sports as a best activity until its affects their daily routine of income.
To encapsulate, both the side have their merits and demerits. This desire is a part of life that unites all people together. I believe that, in the future the thought of free time sports activity will entirely eliminate because of more educational resources and fast forwarding success of sports industry.
Good work, H!
Careful of a lot of informal phrases though and collocations we don’t really use in English.
Try to use ones that you have seen in articles or essays from native speakers so that you can be sure they are right – for example, we don’t say ‘sparkling debates’ and ‘dearness’.
Keep it up!
Hey David
What do you think how much i can score for this essay ?
There are a lot of issues holding you back – primarily the lack of an opinion. It is probably not going to be the score you expect.
If you are interested in band scores, you can sign up on Patreon.com/howtodoielts
I have already the membership with your tutorials. Writing where one can not score and need to reattempt so i am asking is this kind of writing get 6.5 ?
Are you a member on Patreon? What is your email?
For this one, you will likely not be able to reach 6.5.