Extreme Sports: Ban or Life Skills?
A complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 question with a model answer of 320 words, plus a breakdown of the sentence structures, cohesive devices and vocabulary that answer uses. Write your own version first, then compare.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Score my answer to this questionThe question
You have 40 minutes. Write at least 250 words.
Some people think that extreme sports such as skydiving, free climbing and big-wave surfing are too dangerous and should be banned. Others argue that these activities teach participants important life skills such as courage, discipline and self-reliance. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Write at least 250 words.
How to approach it
- 01Address BOTH views in body paragraphs before introducing your own opinion clearly
- 02Use concrete examples (specific sports, real risks, training norms) rather than vague generalisations
- 03Take a defined position — partial agreement is fine but state it explicitly
- 04Avoid emotive language; this is a discursive essay, not a persuasive speech
- 05Use signposting phrases: 'Those who advocate', 'On the other hand', 'In my view'
- 06Conclude by reaffirming your stance and the reasoning, not by introducing new ideas
Model answer
320 words in 5 paragraphs. Read it after you have written your own, not before: the point of a model answer is to show you what you missed, and you cannot miss anything you have not attempted.
The growing popularity of extreme sports has reignited debate over whether activities such as skydiving, free climbing and big-wave surfing should be outlawed on safety grounds, or whether they offer valuable lessons that justify the risks involved. While the case for restriction has its merits, I believe a complete ban would be both impractical and paternalistic.
Those who advocate prohibition emphasise the serious physical dangers and the wider social costs. Fatalities and life-changing injuries are a documented reality of disciplines like alpine soloing and BASE jumping, and rescue operations often place emergency services, helicopter crews and bystanders at risk. Critics also point to the financial burden on public healthcare systems and to the psychological toll on families, who may be left bereaved or caring for severely injured loved ones. From this perspective, banning the most lethal forms of extreme sport is simply a sensible application of the same logic that restricts unsafe consumer products.
On the other hand, supporters argue that these pursuits cultivate qualities that ordinary life seldom demands. Carefully training for a high-stakes climb or jump teaches participants to plan meticulously, manage fear, and take full responsibility for their decisions — competences that transfer to academic, professional and personal challenges. Moreover, many extreme athletes spend years mastering safety procedures, far exceeding the casual recklessness that critics imagine. In a society that increasingly insulates people from any form of risk, voluntary engagement with controlled danger can be psychologically valuable.
In my view, the appropriate response is regulation rather than prohibition. Governments and federations should mandate certification, equipment standards and venue inspections, but adults who accept the residual risk should remain free to participate. Outright bans tend to push such activities underground, where standards are lower and accidents more likely.
In conclusion, although extreme sports carry real dangers, their benefits and the principle of personal autonomy outweigh the case for prohibition. Sensible regulation, not a blanket ban, is the right path.
What this answer actually does
Measured from the text above, and compared against the other 69 answers of the same type in this library. These are counts, not band scores: they describe what the writing does, which is the part you can copy.
29 more than the median answer for this task type
10 words at the shortest, 37 at the longest
the same as the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 21.3 words and vary by 7.6 words either side of that, running from 10 words to 37. Variation is the point. Grammatical Range and Accuracy rewards a mix of simple and complex sentences, and an answer where every sentence is the same length reads as flat no matter how correct it is. 11 of the 15 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
6 in total, spread across 4 different functions. Range matters more than count: an answer that opens every paragraph with a sequencer signals its structure but never signals a relationship between ideas, and Coherence and Cohesion is marked on both.
on the other hand, although, while
moreover
such as
in conclusion
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 90 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 81 per cent appear exactly once. Lexical Resource is where repetition costs the most marks, and the usual cause is not a small vocabulary but reaching for the same noun every time the topic is named.
The longest run of words copied straight from the question is 8 words. Examiners discount wording lifted from the question, so a short run here is the right outcome: the answer restates the topic in its own words rather than borrowing the question's.
What you are marked on
All four criteria carry equal weight, and your Writing band is their average rounded to the nearest half band.
Task Response
Discuss both views in adequate depth and present a clear, consistent personal opinion
Coherence & Cohesion
Logical paragraphing with effective topic sentences and linking devices
Lexical Resource
Range of topic vocabulary (regulation, autonomy, paternalism, certification) used precisely
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Complex sentence structures, conditionals and modal verbs used accurately
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