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

10 correction notes

Showing 10 correction notes.

Large companies frequently use sports events as marketing opportunities, and some argue that this practice harms the integrity of sports. However, I disagree because corporate sponsorship plays a vital role in the development, accessibility, and global reach of modern sports. The following paragraphs will explain this viewpoint further with supporting examples.

To begin with, sponsorship provides essential funding that allows sports organisations to operate at a professional level. High-quality training facilities, advanced equipment, international tournaments, and athlete development programmes are often made possible substantial corporate investment. Without this financial backing, many sports would struggle to survive or expand. A clear example is women’s cricket, which has grown rapidly in several countries due to increased sponsorship and televised exposure supported by large brands.

Moreover, commercial partnerships help increase the visibility and popularity of sports worldwide. Advertising campaigns featuring athletes, product collaborations, and event promotions attract larger audiences, encouraging more people, especially , to participate in sports. This not only boosts interest but also promotes healthier lifestyles. The Olympics, for example, relies heavily on corporate sponsorship to broadcast events to millions globally, inspiring countless young athletes.

Additionally, sponsorship can reduce costs for spectators and players. Ticket prices, broadcast subscriptions, and participation fees are often subsidised by companies in exchange for advertising benefits. This makes sports more affordable and accessible to the public.

In conclusion, although some concerns exist, I believe that large companies have a largely positive impact on sports. Their financial contributions enhance development, broaden global reach, and make sports more accessible. Therefore, rather than harming , corporate sponsorship often strengthens the sporting ecosystem.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.5

The response maintains a clear disagreement position and organises relevant benefits into distinct paragraphs. Its main limitation is generalized support: the cricket example does not show a specific funding mechanism, and the affordability paragraph assumes that company support reaches spectators or players as lower fees. Developing these links more precisely would strengthen the argument; a focused response to the stated integrity concern is another useful option.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

TR Task Response

7.5

The response addresses all parts of the task with a clear, consistent disagreement position, well-developed main ideas, and relevant examples, though development remains somewhat generalized rather than extended.

CC Coherence and Cohesion

7.5

Ideas progress logically across clearly sequenced paragraphs with a range of cohesive devices used naturally, with only minor mechanical linking such as the formulaic paragraph opener.

LR Lexical Resource

7.5

Vocabulary is flexible and precise for the topic, using natural collocations such as financial backing and sporting ecosystem, with only occasional less precise phrasing.

GRA Grammatical Range and Accuracy

8.0

A wide range of structures is used with strong control, including complex sentences and varied passives, and errors are rare and non-impeding.