As a result of constant media attention, sports professionals in my country have become stars and celebrities, and those at the top are paid huge salaries. Just like movie stars, they live extravagant lifestyles with huge houses and cars. Many people find their rewards unfair, especially when comparing these super salaries with those of top surgeons or research scientists, or even leading politicians who have the responsibility of governing the country. However, sports salaries are not determined by considering the contribution to society a person makes, or the level of responsibility he or she holds. Instead, they reflect the public popularity of sport in general and the level of public support that successful stars can generate. So the notion of ‘fairness’ is not the issue. Those who feel that sports stars’ salaries are justified might argue that , and the money is a recognition of the skills and dedication a person needs to be successful. Competition is constant and a player is tested . The pressure from the media is intense and there is little privacy out of the spotlight. So all of these factors may justify the huge earnings. Personally, I think that the amount of money such sports stars make is more justified than the huge earnings of movie stars, but at the same time, it indicates that our society places more value on sport than on more essential professions and achievements.
High Salaries of Sports Professionals vs Other Jobs
Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Annotated response
3 correction notes
Overall assessment
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response addresses both views fully and reaches a clear, nuanced personal position, with well-developed supporting ideas and a natural, precise use of language. Its main limitation is a fairly brief development of each view, with limited expansion through concrete examples.
IELTS criteria
How each score was decided
Task Response
8.0Both views are fully addressed with relevant, well-supported ideas and a clear, qualified personal opinion, though individual points could be developed with more concrete examples.
Coherence and Cohesion
8.0Ideas progress logically across cohesive paragraphs with skilful use of cohesive devices, and paragraphing is entirely appropriate to the task.
Lexical Resource
8.0Vocabulary is wide and used naturally and precisely, including phrases such as 'extravagant lifestyles' and 'recognition of the skills and dedication', with only minimal imprecision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
8.0A wide range of structures is used with flexibility and accuracy, including complex relative and conditional constructions, with only a rare minor slip in subject-verb agreement.