Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In their advertising, businesses nowadays usually emphasise that their products are new in some way. Why is this? Do you think it is a positive or negative development?

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Nowadays, businesses are forcing customers to purchase their products with the help of advertising. The ads are shaping customers' perceptions. Although the advertisements inform customers about the product, they have several negative impacts on customers.

There are many good factors of advertising. The first factor is that advertising makes competitors bring updates to their products which makes competition in a good way. For instance, iPhone and Samsung bring new models every year. Moreover, people can learn about new technologies and features that are used to produce. By watching ads, people purchase products for social status and better lifestyles, while they should buy essential daily items.

On the other hand, not all the information in an ad is verified. Sometimes, those are exaggerated to fool the customer. Such as Fair and Lovely ads. In the ads, they say if you use their cream, it will increase the brightness of skin. There is no scientific evidence to support its claims. Moreover, mobile phone companies are pushing customers to upgrade their phones because the old phone is going to work slowly. In addition, the travel agencies are sending their customer abroad on student visas instead of work visas. We can also see this in the manufacturing sector; they are telling the target audience their products are strong and will not break in the future. This is also not scientifically proven.

The advertisement has many benefits, but its demerits outweigh its merits. It is having negative impacts on the customers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address both questions by suggesting that businesses promote novelty to encourage upgrades and by concluding that this is negative overall. The examples of annual phone releases and unsupported skincare claims are relevant. However, the reasons for emphasising newness are not explained clearly enough: the response shifts from product advertising to social status, misleading claims, travel agencies, and manufacturing without consistently linking these points to the task. Your positive view is also brief and sits uneasily beside the final judgement that the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. The manufacturing claim is asserted rather than supported. The response is four words below the required minimum, and the ideas remain limited and under-developed. Explain the commercial motives more directly and develop each side with a clear example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph presenting benefits, a paragraph on drawbacks, and a conclusion. Basic signposting such as “Moreover,” “On the other hand,” and “In addition” helps readers follow the broad direction. However, progression within the body paragraphs is uneven. The benefits paragraph moves from competition to technology and then social status without explaining how each point connects to the focus on advertising newness. The drawbacks paragraph combines skincare, phone upgrades, student visas, and product durability, so its central argument becomes difficult to track. Some links are also mechanical, and “Such as Fair and Lovely ads” is a fragment rather than a smoothly connected example. Group related ideas and use clearer explanations between claims.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main points, including “advertising,” “competitors,” “technologies,” “scientific evidence,” and “target audience.” There are also attempts at more specific expressions, such as “social status” and “upgrade their phones.” However, several choices are imprecise or repetitive, which limits clarity: “good factors” and “negative impacts” are broad, while “increase the brightness of skin” is an awkward description of the claim. Phrases such as “bring updates to their products” and “purchase products for social status” do not sound natural in context. The range is adequate for the topic, but greater precision and more natural collocations would strengthen the argument. Aim to choose vocabulary that directly expresses commercial motives and consumer effects.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use mostly straightforward sentence patterns and attempt some longer structures, including “Although the advertisements inform customers about the product, they have several negative impacts” and a sentence beginning “while they should buy essential daily items.” Meaning is generally understandable, but control is inconsistent. For example, “which makes competition in a good way” has an unclear grammatical connection, and “the old phone is going to work slowly” does not express the intended idea clearly. There are also errors in number and agreement, as in “the travel agencies are sending their customer,” and the fragment “Such as Fair and Lovely ads.” Use a wider range of accurately controlled complex sentences, check singular and plural forms, and make sure examples are complete sentences.

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