Sample response & feedback

Company Sponsorship of Sports Events

Question

Large companies use sports events to promote their products. Some people think this has a negative impact on sports. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give your own opinion and relevant examples.

Annotated response

12 correction notes

Showing 12 correction notes.

Sporting events hold immense mass appeal, which advertisers are tremendously keen to capitalise upon. However, countless people see this as having an adverse influence on sports, while others beg to differ. I agree with the latter, and in this essay, I will examine the arguments for and against advertisers making the most of sporting events to publicise their products.

Firstly, sponsorship of tournaments by major companies helps bear the steep costs of organising the event and helps ensure are kept at affordable rates. Otherwise, fans may not even have to pay for tickets. Secondly, the revenue earned from advertising paid for by large companies also goes towards the general upkeep of the stadiums and venues. , the latest technology, such as LED scoreboards and screens, as well as comfortable seating, .

One major way in which companies promote their products during sports events is by sponsoring shirts for a team that become brand ambassadors for the company and this becomes a symbiotic relationship for both parties involved. From the advertising perspective, promoting products ensures greater visibility and brand awareness and recall of the companies as sporting events .

However, on the opposing side of the argument, people state that advertising in sporting events has proliferated to such an extent that it mars the experience of enjoying the sport for the spectators. Secondly, if players or event organisers publicise products that have pernicious effects, such as tobacco or alcohol, it can encourage to seek out such noxious products, especially the impressionable young spectators who often idolise their favourite sporting figures as heroes. Lastly, people state that advertising leads to the commercialisation of sports events which detracts from the glory and beauty of a sport.

In conclusion, I would state that while the promotion of products during sports events may have some disadvantageous effects, for the most part, the contributions made by large companies are crucial to sporting events and cannot be done away with.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.5

The response directly addresses the question with a clear opinion, balances both sides, and supports ideas with plausible reasons and examples. Its strongest aspect is the wide, precise vocabulary, while the main limitation is occasional underdeveloped or confusing support, such as the garbled point about ticket prices.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

TR Task Response

7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task, presents a clear position that sponsorship is broadly beneficial, and extends main ideas with relevant supporting points, though a few arguments remain underdeveloped or slightly muddled.

CC Coherence and Cohesion

7.0

Ideas progress logically through well-structured paragraphs with effective cohesive devices, although a small number of transitions and internal linkages are mechanical or briefly unclear.

LR Lexical Resource

8.0

The response demonstrates a wide and flexible range of vocabulary, including natural collocations and precise terms such as 'symbiotic relationship' and 'pernicious effects', with only occasional awkwardness.

GRA Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.0

A variety of complex sentence structures is used with generally good control and frequent error-free sentences, with only minor slips in phrasing and clause construction that do not impede communication.