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Opinion (Agree / Disagree) Society Task 2

Team activities can teach more skills to individual more than other activities ideally. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

A full IELTS Writing Task 2 answer to this question, with a paragraph plan, ideas you can use, and the vocabulary that fits this topic.

The question

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Team activities can teach more skills to individual more than other activities ideally. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

How to read this question

You are given one statement and asked how far you agree. The examiner is checking that you take a clear position in the introduction and hold it consistently to the conclusion — a partial agreement is fine, an unclear one is not.

Paragraph plan

Introduction — Paraphrase the prompt and state a clear but nuanced position — agreeing while acknowledging that the advantage depends on the type of skill being developed.

Body 1 — Argue the main position: team activities develop communication, leadership, and collaborative problem-solving that cannot be replicated alone.

Body 2 — Acknowledge the limitation: individual activities develop concentration, independent thinking, and self-discipline — skills equally necessary in many fields.

Conclusion — Restate the balanced position clearly without introducing new arguments.

Model essay

Band 8.5–9.0 model essay

321 words

It is often claimed that team-based activities teach individuals considerably more skills than other pursuits. I largely agree with this view, since collaborative settings demand a wide range of interpersonal abilities that few other contexts require, although solitary activities can cultivate certain other skills more effectively depending on the goal an individual has in mind.

To begin, team activities require participants to develop communication, negotiation and leadership skills that solitary pursuits rarely demand to the same extent. To illustrate, a student who plays on a school football team must learn to coordinate strategy with teammates under pressure, resolve on-field disagreements diplomatically, and, at times, take charge as captain during difficult matches when quick decisions are needed under time constraints. These interpersonal competencies are directly transferable to future workplaces, where employees are almost always required to collaborate closely with colleagues from diverse backgrounds to achieve shared objectives efficiently and meet common deadlines set by managers and clients alike, often under considerable pressure and scrutiny, while also learning to trust others with shared responsibility.

Nevertheless, individual pursuits can more effectively cultivate skills such as self-discipline, independent decision-making and sustained personal focus over long periods of time. For instance, a person who practises long-distance running or learns a musical instrument alone must set their own targets, manage their time without external accountability, and persevere through setbacks and plateaus entirely unaided by teammates or coaches. These qualities of self-reliance can be equally valuable in adulthood, particularly for entrepreneurs or freelancers who must motivate themselves consistently without the structure and encouragement of a team environment around them at all times, relying instead on their own inner drive, determination and capacity for honest self-assessment.

In conclusion, although team activities generally teach a broader range of interpersonal skills than most other pursuits, individual activities remain indispensable for building self-discipline and independence. A thoughtful combination of both is therefore ideal for well-rounded personal development at every stage of life.

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Ideas & vocabulary for this topic

Ideas you can use

  • Introduction: State broad agreement that team activities teach individuals more skills than other pursuits, while noting solitary activities build different, equally valuable skills.
  • Body 1: Argue that team activities, such as playing on a school football team, build communication, negotiation and leadership skills through coordinating with teammates and resolving disagreements, skills directly transferable to future workplace collaboration.
  • Body 2: Concede that individual pursuits like long-distance running or learning an instrument alone build self-discipline, independent decision-making and sustained focus, valuable for entrepreneurs or freelancers who must self-motivate without a team.
  • Conclusion: Restate that team activities generally teach a broader range of interpersonal skills, but individual pursuits remain essential for self-discipline, so a combination of both supports well-rounded development.
Word or phraseMeaningUsed in a sentence
coordinateto organise different people or elements so they work together effectivelymust learn to coordinate strategy with teammates under pressure
diplomaticallyin a tactful way that avoids causing offenceresolve on-field disagreements diplomatically
transferableable to be applied or moved to a different contextthese interpersonal competencies are directly transferable to future workplaces
self-reliancedependence on one's own powers and resources rather than on othersthese qualities of self-reliance can be equally valuable in adulthood
unaidedwithout help from anyone elsepersevere through setbacks and plateaus entirely unaided by teammates or coaches
sustained personal focusconcentrated attention maintained continuously over timecultivate skills such as self-discipline, independent decision-making and sustained personal focus
accountabilitythe state of being responsible and answerable for one's actionsmanage their time without external accountability
inner driveinternal motivation that pushes a person to act without outside pressurerelying instead on their own inner drive, determination and capacity for honest self-assessment

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