GP essay question guide
Is sport more than just a game?
List what sport does beyond the result, then weigh it. The strongest answers show that the same power that unites people can also be used to polish a country's image.
Unpack this question first: 'More than just a game' asks what else sport does: build identity, health, money or national image. Say whether those extra roles are good, bad or both. Lesson: Reading an essay question: terms and scope
Use this question in writing - Sign in, check the question, then write your response.
Topics: Society and Culture, Politics and Governance, Economics
Three argument directions
Sport builds unity
A shared win can bring people together across class and race.
Qualification: The unity often fades after the event.
Sport is a national stage
Hosting big events can raise a country's profile and bring visitors.
Qualification: Huge costs and rights concerns can turn the stage against the host.
Sport supports health and connection
Regular play builds fitness and friendships, especially for the young.
Qualification: Elite sport gets most of the attention and money.
A model paragraph
Our own paragraph for this question. Copy its moves, not its words.
Sport is more than just a game because it carries a country's pride and image, and that is exactly why it can be misused. A shared win can unite people across class and race for a moment, and a big event can show a country to the world. Qatar spent heavily to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, hoping to raise its global standing. Yet the same event drew attention to migrant workers who were mistreated or died while building stadiums and other projects, so the tournament became a debate about human rights as much as football. Sport's meaning beyond the field can work for or against a host: it gives a country a stage, but that stage also lets the world see what it would rather hide.
How it is built
- Stand: yes, because sport carries pride and image.
- Case: Qatar 2022 as both showcase and spotlight on workers.
- Judgement: the stage cuts both ways.
Six examples to compare
Qatar 2022: World Cup, Rights, Image
Qatar hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup sparked global debate over migrant worker rights and its international image.
Possible essay use
The Guardian reported in February 2021 that more than 6,500 migrant workers from five South Asian countries had died in Qatar since December 2010.
Limitation
The 6,500 figure counts all deaths of workers from five countries in Qatar, whatever the job or cause; it is not a count of World Cup construction deaths.
Case or source date: 2021-02-23
Source: The Guardian
Nations First or World Together?
The COVID-19 pandemic showed tension between national self-interest (vaccine hoarding) and global cooperation (COVAX). This highlights choices leaders make.
Possible essay use
In February 2021 the UN Secretary-General said 10 countries had administered 75% of all COVID-19 vaccinations.
Limitation
The 75% figure describes the early rollout in February 2021; later in the pandemic supply was less of a barrier than delivery and hesitancy in some poorer countries.
Case or source date: 2021-02-17
Source: Al Jazeera
Hallyu: Korea's Global Culture Wave Power
The Korean Wave (Hallyu) shows how cultural exports like K-pop and K-dramas boost South Korea's global image and soft power.
Possible essay use
In December 2018 the Hyundai Research Institute estimated that BTS generated about 4.1 trillion won (about US$3.6 billion) of economic activity in South Korea each year.
Limitation
The figure is a think tank's model estimate from 2018, not measured output, and BTS took a break for military service from 2022 to 2025, so it describes one period.
Case or source date: 2018-12-18
Source: The Jakarta Post (AFP)
Grow Well SG Promotes Preventive Child Health
Grow Well SG is a multi-ministry preventive-health strategy intended to help children and families build healthy habits early.
Possible essay use
Grow Well SG is a multi-ministry preventive-health strategy intended to help children and families build healthy habits early.
Limitation
Guidance and screening can support families but outcomes depend on uptake and may raise concerns about intrusion or unequal capacity.
Case or source date: 2025-01-21
Source: Ministry of Health
WHO Treats Social Connection as a Public-Health Issue
The WHO Commission on Social Connection reported that loneliness and social isolation are widespread and called for scalable public action.
Possible essay use
loneliness can be treated as a public health issue, because its effects on health are widespread and can be reduced through public action
Limitation
A global report identifies risks and options but does not prove that one intervention will work equally across cultures.
Case or source date: 2025-06-30
Source: World Health Organization
Singapore Expands Heat Alerts Used by Schools
More local heat sensors and school guidance show how climate adaptation can change decisions about outdoor activity.
Possible essay use
Singapore expanded its wet-bulb globe temperature sensor network from 9 in 2023 to 27 in 2026, with more planned, while schools use heat guidance to protect students during hot weather.
Limitation
more sensors and guidance reduce exposure risk but do not cool the city, prevent climate change, or ensure that everyone follows the advice
Case or source date: 2026-05-07
Source: Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment Singapore