IELTS Essay Topic #6 Sport and Leisure

Arguments against Professional or Competitive Sport

  • Sport has become a business
  • Professional sport encourages people to compete for money
  • Many sports stars are only concerned about money and fame
  • Some athletes take drugs in order to win at any cost
  • Competitors are often selfish and rude
  • They are not good role models for children
  • All sports should be amateur
  • Sports should be leisure activities rather than jobs
  • People should do sporting activities for enjoyment and health reasons
  • Taking part is more important than winning

Arguments for Professional Sport

  • Professional sports are the same as any other business
  • Many people are employed in the sports industry
  • People should be able to use their talents to earn a salary
  • Sports stars entertain millions of people
  • Money is necessary to improve facilities and train athletes
  • The level of professional sport is much higher than that of amateur sport

Arguments for Competitive Sport

  • Competition is a natural instinct in humans
  • In daily life we compete to get jobs or the highest grades
  • Sports are a safe form of competition
  • Competition is healthy because it pushes us to give our best
  • Competitors and fans can release energy and aggression
  • Supporters of teams feel a sense of belonging to a community
Opinion: Professional Sport Salaries are too high
  • Sports professionals earn too much money
  • They do not provide a vital service
  • Football players, for example, earn enormous salaries by simply kicking a ball
  • We could all live happily without professional football
  • Life would be difficult without doctors, engineers and other vital professionals.
  • Society does not seem to value these professions as highly as professional sport
  • Sports salaries should be compatible with the wages most people earn
Opinion: Professional Sport Salaries are fair
  • It is fair that the best professional earn a lot of money
  • Sport is a multi-million-pound industry
  • There is a large audience of sports fans
  • Sports on television attract many viewers
  • Sports stars have dedicated hours of practice to developing their fitness and skills
  • Only the most talented among them will reach the top
  • A sports career many only last 10 years
  • Sports fans are willing to pay to support their teams

Sports and Politics

  • Some people think that sport and politics should remain separate
  • Governments are involved in the hosting of sporting events such as the Olympics.
  • These events attract investment and create
  • The Olympic Games are an advertisement for the host nation
  • They attract huge numbers of visitors and sports fans
  • Wealthy countries tend to hold these events
  • Developing countries should be given the chance to become hosts