APIEWriting Intensive: Professional Sport and Ethics
Professional sport, money and ethics
Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.
Module 1: Vocabulary, Collocations & Sentence Foundations
Before you write the essay, practise the words and patterns you will need.
A football player signing a contractHow to use this lesson
👩🏫 Teacher Guide
• Give Module 1 about 20 minutes.
• Check the answers together on the board.
✍️ Learner Guide
• Do the 21 tasks first.
• Then use the words and patterns in your essay.
Core Word Transformations (5 Items)
Change the word in capitals so it fits the sentence.
1. Root: SPONSOR
Modern football franchises rely heavily on corporate ____ deals to finance stadium expansions and transfer fees.
Hint: We need a noun indicating commercial funding or financial backing.
2. Root: PROFIT
Negotiating a highly ____ footwear contract enables prominent players to generate income that far eclipses their tournament winnings.
Hint: Adjective formed from PROFIT meaning yielding financial gain.
3. Root: DOPE
International anti- ____ regulators have implemented unannounced testing regimens to preserve fair play in international athletics.
Hint: The gerund/noun used for using banned performance-enhancing substances.
4. Root: EXPLOIT
Youth academies are frequently accused of commercial ____ when teenage prospects are subjected to grueling schedules without adequate schooling.
Hint: Abstract noun ending in -tion describing unfair commercial treatment.
5. Root: SCANDAL
The match-fixing revelations were ____ .
Hint: Adjective formed from SCANDAL meaning causing general public outrage.
Natural Collocations (5 Items)
Choose the correct word to complete the phrase.
1. Television networks pay billions of dollars to acquire exclusive global ______ each season.
2. Several team executives faced lifetime bans following an independent inquiry into gross ______.
3. Unrelenting fixture schedules and nonstop international travel inevitably trigger severe ______ among competitors.
4. After guiding his squad to the championship, the striker was rewarded with a highly ______ that secured his long-term future.
5. The national federation struggled to recover its credibility after an explosive ______ tarnished several Olympic medalists.
Linking words (5 Items)
Complete each sentence with a phrase from the word bank.
Word Bank (Copy or type exactly):
1.
____ , an elite athletic career is brief and fraught with the constant hazard of career-ending physical injuries.
Hint: Type the exact word from the bank that means 'it is true that'.
2.
____ the immense physical sacrifices involved, earning multimillion-dollar weekly wages remains hard for the public to justify.
Hint: Type the exact word from the bank that means 'despite'.
3.
____ such exorbitant pay packages are simply determined by unfettered market supply and global consumer demand.
Hint: Type the exact phrase from the bank that introduces a possible claim.
4.
Nurses and primary school teachers work for decades while earning modest incomes. ____ , the best-paid footballers can earn over 100,000 pounds a week.
Hint: Type the exact phrase from the bank that highlights a difference.
5.
Clubs generate astronomical sums through stadium ticket sales, merchandise, and worldwide streaming. ____ , team owners can easily absorb these wage demands without threatening their core solvency.
Hint: Type the exact word from the bank that means 'as a result'.
Sentence Transformation & Paraphrasing (3 Items)
Choose the best way to say the same thing.
Original sentence:
"Sports superstars get paid far too much money compared to normal working professionals."
Choose the most formal and mature paraphrase:
Original sentence:
"Clubs sell tickets, TV rights and commercial sponsorships, so they make massive revenues and can afford high pay."
Choose the best academic rewrite:
Original sentence:
"Athletes work very hard, risk serious injuries, and retire very young."
Choose the most formal and mature paraphrase:
Hypothetical Grammar Patterns (3 Items)
Review these three grammar patterns.
Pattern 1: Past Regret
wish / if only + Past Perfect
Expresses regret about an unchangeable past event.
Pattern 2: Present Preference
would rather + Subject + Past Simple
States how one person prefers someone else to act.
Pattern 3: Urgent Action
it is high time + Subject + Past Simple
Signals that an overdue action must happen immediately.
1. Past Regret: Form the correct verb phrase for the past event:
Many purists wish that sporting federations ____ (not commercialize) the games so aggressively during the early 1990s.
2. Hypothetical Preference: Form the correct verb form for someone else's action:
Many traditional supporters would rather club owners ____ (reinvest) excess corporate revenues into grassroots training facilities rather than inflated player salaries.
3. Urgent Delayed Action: Write the correct past simple form of the verb in brackets:
Given escalating ticket prices and widespread fan disillusionment, it is high time governing committees ____ (institute) strict salary caps across the entire league.
🎯 Build-up Complete! Ready for Module 2?
Module 1 done. Now write your essay.
Module 2: The Writing Task
Now write your essay. Use the words and patterns from Module 1.
Academic Writing Prompt
“Some people believe that professional sports players earn too much money. Others think that their salaries are fair. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.”
Target Length
Minimum 250 words
Maintain complete paragraph structure without abbreviated thoughts.
Key Lexicon
At least 5 target words
Integrate items such as lucrative, broadcast, burnout, misconduct, integrity.
Grammar Focus
At least 3 hypothetical structures
Include wish + past perfect, would rather + past simple, or it is high time + past simple.
4-Paragraph Planning Structure
Plan your essay in four paragraphs. Start each paragraph with these phrases:
Introduce the contentious debate surrounding athletic remuneration.
Mandatory Starter:
“This essay will examine both views.”
Examine claims concerning social inequality and disproportionate compensation.
Mandatory Starter:
“Supporters of the first view argue that ...”
Address market dynamics, brief careers, injury vulnerabilities, and entertainment value.
Mandatory Starter:
“By contrast, others maintain that ...”
Weigh the competing arguments and articulate an explicit personal judgment.
Mandatory Starter:
“On balance, ...”
Pre-Submission Self-Check (4 Requirements)
Read your essay once more: 250 words? 5 unit words? 3 patterns? Both views and your opinion?
Write your essay here
Write your complete essay below. Ensure your text conforms to the four assessment criteria.
What makes a good C1 essay:
1. Task Response
Addresses all parts equally; distinct, nuanced opinion maintained throughout.
2. Coherence & Cohesion
Logical progression across paragraphs; sophisticated, varied linking words.
3. Lexical Resource
Precise topic collocations; natural register; correct academic word forms.
4. Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Accurate deployment of hypothetical forms and varied complex structures.
📘 Module 3: Model Essay
Read a Model Essay
Below is a model C1 discursive essay addressing the topic of professional athlete compensation.
As you read, pay close attention to the flow of ideas and the varied sentence structures. We have highlighted three target C1 grammatical structures. Review the notes under the essay to understand exactly how they elevate the writing.
The Economics of Elite Athletics
Are Astronomical Salaries Justified?
This essay will examine both views. The question of whether professional athletes are overpaid is a common topic of debate. On one hand, many people feel that sports stars earn far too much money compared to ordinary workers. On the other hand, some argue that these high salaries are simply the result of the global entertainment market.
Supporters of the first view argue that society does not value essential workers enough. Nurses, teachers, and firefighters do vital work but often struggle financially. Many of these professionals wish they had chosen a more lucrative career path when they see athletes earning millions just for playing a game. Furthermore, critics point out that the money spent on sports could be used to solve serious social problems. They would rather governments taxed these massive sports revenues to fund public services instead of letting a few individuals become incredibly wealthy.
By contrast, others maintain that athletes deserve their high pay because their careers are very short and risky. A professional sports career is often short, and a single bad injury can end it instantly. Therefore, players need to earn enough to support themselves for the rest of their lives. In addition, clubs make huge profits from selling tickets, TV rights, and merchandise. If the players did not receive a large share of this money, it would simply go to the wealthy team owners.
On balance, while the salaries of top athletes seem shocking, they are fair within the context of the sports industry. The money comes from millions of fans who willingly pay to watch them perform. However, it is high time sports organizations invested more of their profits into grassroots sports and local communities. This would help ensure that the massive wealth generated by professional sports benefits society as a whole.
wish + past perfect: wish they had chosen expresses regret about a past situation.
would rather + past simple: 'would rather governments taxed' says what we want someone else to do.
it is high time + past simple: it is high time sports organizations invested signals that an action is urgently overdue.
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