2025-08-20

IELTS Writing Task 2 Discussion — Olympics: 15 Common Mistakes and Fixes

Master IELTS Writing Task 2 Olympics discussion essays with advanced sports management and international relations vocabulary, Band 9 samples, and expert strategies for consistent Band 7+ scores.

This comprehensive guide addresses the 15 most common mistakes students make in IELTS Writing Task 2 Olympics discussion essays and provides expert fixes for achieving Band 7-9 scores. Master sophisticated sports management terminology, proven essay structures, and advanced argumentation techniques while learning from detailed Band 9 sample analysis and examiner insights.

Olympics discussion essays challenge candidates to explore complex relationships between international sports competition, economic development, cultural exchange, and national identity. Success requires sophisticated vocabulary, balanced argumentation, and nuanced understanding of Olympic Games' multifaceted impact on host cities, participating nations, and global sports culture.

Olympics discussion questions in IELTS Task 2 typically present contrasting viewpoints about hosting benefits versus costs, commercial sponsorship, athlete professionalism, or international cooperation versus competition. Your task is to present both perspectives fairly while demonstrating sophisticated understanding of Olympic Games' complex political, economic, and cultural dimensions.

Common Olympics discussion topics include:

  • Economic benefits versus financial costs of hosting Olympic Games
  • Professional athlete participation versus amateur Olympic tradition
  • Commercial sponsorship versus Olympic sporting purity
  • International cooperation versus national competition emphasis
  • Summer versus Winter Olympic Games resource allocation
  • Olympic legacy planning versus immediate event management

Success demands demonstrating nuanced understanding of how Olympic Games intersect with international relations, economic development, cultural diplomacy, and sports governance while maintaining analytical objectivity and balanced perspective.

Mistake 1: Oversimplified Olympics Arguments

Common Error: "The Olympics bring countries together to compete in sports and promote peace through athletics."

Why It's Wrong: This lacks analytical depth expected at higher band levels. Olympic Games involve complex interactions between international politics, economic development, cultural diplomacy, and sports governance requiring sophisticated analysis.

Expert Fix: "Contemporary Olympic Games function as multifaceted international platforms integrating sports competition with diplomatic initiatives, economic development strategies, and cultural exchange programs while navigating complex political tensions, commercial interests, and organizational challenges."

Advanced Vocabulary: multifaceted international platforms, diplomatic initiatives, economic development strategies, cultural exchange programs, organizational challenges

Mistake 2: Confusing Discussion with Personal Olympic Experience

Common Error: Beginning with "I watched the Olympics last year and enjoyed seeing my country win medals in swimming."

Why It's Wrong: Discussion essays require objective analysis of different viewpoints, not personal opinions or individual Olympic viewing experiences.

Expert Fix: Begin analytically: "Olympic stakeholders and international sports officials continue debating whether economic development benefits or financial sustainability challenges more significantly influence host city selection while balancing sporting excellence with commercial viability and cultural representation."

Mistake 3: Limited Olympics Vocabulary Range

Common Error: Repeatedly using basic terms like "sports," "games," "competition," "countries," "athletes."

Why It's Wrong: Restricted vocabulary limits band score potential and fails to demonstrate academic writing sophistication in Olympic studies.

Expert Fix: Employ sophisticated alternatives:

  • Sports → athletic disciplines, sporting events, competitive athletics
  • Games → Olympic celebrations, quadrennial competitions, international sporting festivals
  • Competition → athletic rivalry, sporting excellence pursuit, performance optimization

Mistake 4: Weak Olympic Research Examples

Common Error: "The Olympics are expensive and some countries spend too much money organizing them."

Why It's Wrong: Vague references that don't demonstrate analytical thinking or awareness of specific Olympic economic impacts.

Expert Fix: "The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, with a final budget exceeding $15.4 billion despite COVID-19 modifications, demonstrated how host cities balance infrastructure development, tourism promotion, and international prestige with long-term debt management and sustainable legacy planning requirements."

At BabyCode, we've guided 500,000+ students through Olympics discussion essays using our specialized sports management vocabulary modules and evidence-based argument development frameworks. Our comprehensive approach helps students master sophisticated Olympic terminology while developing balanced analytical skills that consistently achieve Band 7+ scores.

Mistake 5: Unbalanced Olympics Argument Development

Common Error: Writing 190 words supporting Olympic hosting benefits, 60 words addressing financial concerns.

Why It's Wrong: Discussion essays require approximately equal development of both perspectives to demonstrate comprehensive understanding of Olympic complexity.

Expert Fix: Allocate 125-140 words to each viewpoint, ensuring thorough analysis with specific examples and supporting evidence for both Olympic hosting advantages and sustainability challenges.

Mistake 6: Ignoring Olympic Legacy Complexity

Common Error: "Olympics create jobs and improve infrastructure, so cities should host them for economic development."

Why It's Wrong: This oversimplifies complex legacy considerations including long-term maintenance costs, facility utilization, tourism sustainability, and debt servicing that influence post-Olympic outcomes.

Expert Fix: "Olympic legacy planning requires balancing immediate infrastructure development with sustainable long-term utilization, considering post-Games facility management, tourism maintenance, debt repayment schedules, and community benefit distribution while avoiding white elephant developments that burden host cities financially."

Mistake 7: Poor Olympic Statistics Integration

Common Error: "Olympics increase tourism and help the economy of host countries."

Why It's Wrong: Vague statistics that don't support specific arguments or demonstrate research awareness of Olympic economic impacts.

Expert Fix: "International Olympic Committee research indicates that successful Olympic hosting generates average 15% tourism increases during Games years, with Barcelona 1992 and London 2012 demonstrating sustained 8-12% annual visitor growth over subsequent decades through strategic urban regeneration and international marketing initiatives."

Mistake 8: Inadequate Sports Diplomacy Analysis

Common Error: Focusing exclusively on athletic competition without acknowledging broader diplomatic and cultural functions.

Why It's Wrong: Modern Olympic discussions require understanding complex relationships between sports, international relations, cultural exchange, and global cooperation that define Olympic movements.

Expert Fix: "Olympic Games facilitate sports diplomacy through cultural exchange programs, international cooperation initiatives, and conflict resolution opportunities while promoting global understanding, peaceful competition, and shared values despite political tensions and international disputes."

Our specialized Olympics vocabulary system teaches 450+ advanced sports management, international relations, and event organization terms through contextual application exercises. Students master sophisticated Olympic terminology including governance structures, economic analysis, and diplomatic vocabulary, achieving significant improvements in Task 2 Olympics essay band scores.

Mistake 9: Weak Transitions Between Olympic Arguments

Common Error: "Also, another advantage of hosting Olympics is..."

Why It's Wrong: Poor transitions disrupt essay flow and fail to demonstrate advanced academic writing sophistication.

Expert Fix: "Conversely, Olympic sustainability advocates emphasize..." or "While hosting benefits attract cities, financial responsibility concerns highlight..."

Mistake 10: Insufficient Athlete Development Analysis

Common Error: "Olympics help athletes become famous and earn money from sponsorship deals."

Why It's Wrong: Lacks nuanced understanding of athlete development including training systems, performance enhancement, career sustainability, and post-competition transitions.

Expert Fix: "Olympic participation provides athletes with international exposure, performance development opportunities, and career advancement potential while requiring substantial training investments, sacrificing educational alternatives, and facing uncertain post-competition income stability across diverse sporting disciplines."

Mistake 11: Generic Olympic Conclusions

Common Error: "Both hosting Olympics and not hosting have advantages so countries should decide based on their situations."

Why It's Wrong: Fails to synthesize arguments or demonstrate sophisticated analysis of integrated Olympic hosting approaches.

Expert Fix: "While both Olympic hosting benefits and sustainability challenges present valid considerations, optimal decisions likely emerge from comprehensive assessment frameworks that evaluate long-term legacy potential, community impact distribution, and sustainable financing mechanisms rather than purely economic or prestige-based calculations."

Mistake 12: Misunderstanding Olympic Governance

Common Error: "The International Olympic Committee decides everything about Olympics and controls all aspects of the games."

Why It's Wrong: Oversimplifies complex governance structures including host city responsibilities, national Olympic committees, international federations, and commercial partnerships.

Expert Fix: "Olympic governance encompasses collaborative relationships between the International Olympic Committee, host city organizing committees, national Olympic committees, international sporting federations, and commercial partners through shared decision-making processes that balance sporting integrity with operational efficiency and financial sustainability."

Mistake 13: Poor Commercialization Analysis

Common Error: "Olympic sponsorship provides money for organizing games so commercial involvement is necessary."

Why It's Wrong: Ignores broader commercialization considerations including brand conflicts, sporting purity, accessibility barriers, and athlete exploitation concerns.

Expert Fix: "Olympic commercialization requires balancing revenue generation through sponsorship partnerships and broadcasting rights with sporting authenticity, athlete welfare, accessibility principles, and cultural integrity while avoiding excessive corporate influence that compromises Olympic values and competitive fairness."

Mistake 14: Inadequate Environmental Impact Perspective

Common Error: Focusing exclusively on economic benefits without acknowledging environmental sustainability implications.

Why It's Wrong: Demonstrates limited understanding of Olympic Games' environmental footprint and the growing emphasis on sustainability in Olympic planning and legacy management.

Expert Fix: "Sustainable Olympic hosting increasingly prioritizes environmental responsibility through renewable energy utilization, waste reduction strategies, carbon footprint minimization, and ecological preservation while demonstrating global leadership in climate-conscious event management and green technology adoption."

Our comprehensive Olympics writing program combines advanced vocabulary development, balanced argument construction, and detailed evidence-based analysis training. Students receive expert feedback on essay organization, Olympic terminology usage, and analytical sophistication through our specialized sports management assessment system, ensuring consistent Band 7+ performance.

Mistake 15: Weak Olympic Technology Understanding

Common Error: "Technology is making Olympics more exciting for viewers with better cameras and instant replays."

Why It's Wrong: Oversimplifies complex technological integration including performance analysis, timing systems, broadcast innovation, and digital engagement platforms.

Expert Fix: "Olympic technology advancement encompasses precision timing systems, performance analytics, virtual reality broadcasting, athlete monitoring devices, and digital engagement platforms that enhance competitive accuracy, viewer experience, and global accessibility while maintaining sporting integrity and fair competition standards."

Question: Some people believe that hosting the Olympic Games brings significant economic and cultural benefits to host cities, while others argue that the financial costs and logistical challenges outweigh the advantages. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Sample Response:

Contemporary Olympic hosting debates increasingly examine whether economic development benefits or financial sustainability challenges more significantly influence host city outcomes and long-term community welfare. This fundamental discussion affects urban planning policies, international relations strategies, and public resource allocation across diverse political and economic contexts worldwide.

Olympic hosting advocates emphasize transformational infrastructure development, international profile enhancement, and cultural exchange opportunities that provide lasting benefits for host cities and nations. Major Olympic Games catalyze urban regeneration projects, transportation system improvements, and accommodation facility development that serve communities long after athletic competitions conclude. Successful hosting demonstrates organizational capacity, international cooperation capabilities, and cultural sophistication that attract foreign investment, tourism growth, and diplomatic relationships beneficial for economic development and global integration. Furthermore, Olympic hosting provides platforms for cultural celebration, national identity expression, and international recognition that enhance soft power influence and create positive associations supporting future economic partnerships and tourism marketing initiatives.

Conversely, Olympic sustainability critics argue that massive financial commitments, infrastructure requirements, and organizational complexity create unsustainable debt burdens and opportunity costs that divert resources from essential public services. Historical examples demonstrate that Olympic budgets frequently exceed initial projections by 200-400%, with specialized facilities requiring ongoing maintenance costs while generating limited post-Games revenue streams. Additionally, Olympic preparation often displaces communities, prioritizes prestige projects over social housing, and creates artificial economic booms followed by construction industry contractions that negatively impact local employment and housing markets. Security requirements, transportation disruptions, and visitor management challenges can overwhelm host cities while providing temporary benefits that fail to justify long-term financial obligations and social costs.

In my opinion, successful Olympic hosting requires rigorous cost-benefit analysis, sustainable legacy planning, and community-centered development approaches that prioritize long-term welfare over short-term prestige, with cities like Barcelona and Sydney demonstrating that strategic planning can generate positive outcomes while avoiding debt traps and social displacement.

Analysis:

  • Task Response: Comprehensively addresses both viewpoints with clear, well-reasoned personal opinion emphasizing strategic planning
  • Vocabulary: Sophisticated Olympic terminology (transformational infrastructure development, soft power influence, organizational complexity, community-centered development)
  • Grammar: Complex sentence structures demonstrating advanced language control and academic register
  • Coherence: Logical progression with effective transitions connecting Olympic arguments
  • Examples: Specific, relevant examples (Barcelona, Sydney, budget overruns, infrastructure development, tourism growth)

Olympic Organization

  • Host city selection criteria
  • Venue planning optimization
  • Logistics coordination systems
  • Security management protocols
  • Volunteer program administration
  • International delegation hosting

Economic Impact Analysis

  • Infrastructure development investment
  • Tourism revenue generation
  • Employment creation patterns
  • Legacy facility utilization
  • Debt servicing requirements
  • Opportunity cost assessment

Sports Diplomacy

  • International cooperation promotion
  • Cultural exchange facilitation
  • Peaceful competition emphasis
  • Conflict resolution opportunities
  • Global understanding advancement
  • Diplomatic relationship building

Olympic Governance

  • International Olympic Committee oversight
  • National Olympic Committee coordination
  • International federation involvement
  • Anti-doping policy enforcement
  • Athlete rights protection
  • Commercial partnership management

Our comprehensive Olympics vocabulary platform ensures students master sophisticated sports management terminology through contextual application and repeated practice. The system's intelligent tracking monitors vocabulary development progress while providing personalized recommendations for expanding Olympic studies and international relations writing capabilities.

  1. Some people believe that professional athletes should compete in Olympic Games, while others argue that Olympics should maintain amateur sporting traditions. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

  2. Summer Olympic Games versus Winter Olympic Games each receive different levels of global attention and resources. Discuss both perspectives and provide your viewpoint.

  3. Some argue that Olympic Games promote international cooperation and peace, while others believe they intensify national competition and political tensions. Discuss both views and state your opinion.

  4. Commercial sponsorship of Olympic Games versus traditional public funding continue generating debate among sports officials. Discuss both approaches and give your own view.

  5. Some people think that Olympic Games should rotate among established host cities to reduce costs, while others believe new cities deserve hosting opportunities. Discuss both viewpoints and provide your opinion.

Structure Mastery

  • Introduction: Present both Olympic perspectives with balanced consideration
  • Body Paragraph 1: Develop hosting benefits arguments with economic and cultural evidence
  • Body Paragraph 2: Analyze sustainability challenges and financial concerns comprehensively
  • Conclusion: Synthesize arguments with strategic Olympic hosting philosophy

Vocabulary Enhancement Techniques

  • Replace basic Olympic terms with sophisticated sports management alternatives
  • Integrate economic analysis terminology and diplomatic concepts appropriately
  • Use evidence-based research and international relations collocations accurately
  • Demonstrate understanding of Olympic complexity while maintaining clarity

Example Development Strategies

  • Reference specific Olympic Games and their documented impacts
  • Include relevant statistical findings about hosting costs and benefits
  • Compare different host city approaches to Olympic planning and legacy management
  • Analyze real-world Olympic outcomes and their long-term community effects

Our comprehensive Olympics writing program combines advanced vocabulary development, balanced argument construction, and detailed evidence-based analysis training. Students receive expert feedback on essay organization, Olympic terminology usage, and analytical sophistication through our specialized sports management writing assessment system, ensuring consistent Band 7+ performance.

Q: How can I quickly develop sophisticated Olympics vocabulary for IELTS Writing? A: Focus on learning sports management and international relations collocations in academic contexts rather than basic sporting terms. Practice using expressions like "infrastructure development investment," "sports diplomacy initiatives," and "legacy facility utilization" in complete analytical sentences. Read Olympic research studies to understand sophisticated terminology usage patterns.

Q: What's the optimal essay structure for Olympics discussion questions? A: Use a balanced 4-paragraph structure: introduction presenting both Olympic perspectives, two body paragraphs with equal development (approximately 130-145 words each), and conclusion synthesizing arguments with your sports management philosophy. Maintain 290-310 words total for comprehensive analysis.

Q: How do I avoid oversimplifying complex Olympic topics? A: Acknowledge multiple factors influencing Olympic hosting decisions. Instead of stating "Olympics are good for cities," discuss "Olympic hosting outcomes depend on strategic legacy planning, community impact assessment, sustainable financing mechanisms, and long-term facility utilization strategies that balance economic development objectives with social responsibility and environmental sustainability."

Q: Should I include personal Olympic viewing experiences in my discussion essay? A: Avoid personal anecdotes entirely. Focus on Olympic research, sports management policy analysis, economic impact studies, and international relations approaches. Maintain objective, analytical tone throughout while demonstrating sophisticated understanding of Olympic Games' complexity and global significance.

Q: How can I make my Olympic arguments more academically sophisticated? A: Integrate sports management concepts, economic development principles, international relations theory, and cultural diplomacy frameworks. Discuss evidence-based effectiveness, sustainability considerations, and governance implications rather than simple sporting enthusiasm or basic event descriptions.

Expand your IELTS Writing expertise with these complementary Olympics and sports resources:

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