Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-02

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 8.5)

Nowadays, many businesses highlight that their products are new or have been improved in their advertisements. They often use phrases such as "new formula," "latest version," or "now even better" to attract consumers. While this strategy can encourage innovation and provide customers with better choices, I believe it is largely a negative development because it promotes unnecessary consumption.

One reason companies focus on novelty is that modern markets are highly competitive. Since many products offer similar functions, businesses need to differentiate themselves from their competitors. By presenting a product as new or upgraded, they can attract consumers' attention and persuade them to purchase it. In addition, many customers are naturally drawn to the latest trends and technologies, believing that newer products are more effective, fashionable, or reliable.

However, I believe this trend has more disadvantages than advantages. Constantly encouraging people to buy the newest products creates a culture of consumerism, where perfectly usable items are replaced simply because a newer version is available. This leads to unnecessary spending and contributes to environmental problems such as electronic waste and excessive packaging. For example, many smartphone manufacturers release updated models every year with only minor improvements, yet millions of consumers replace their old devices even though they still function well.

On the other hand, emphasising innovation can sometimes benefit society. In industries such as healthcare or renewable energy, genuinely new products often improve people's quality of life by offering better safety, efficiency, or environmental performance. Nevertheless, these cases are less common than marketing campaigns designed mainly to increase sales.

In conclusion, businesses advertise products as new because they want to stand out in competitive markets and increase profits. Although this can encourage technological progress, I believe it is generally a negative development because it promotes overconsumption and creates unnecessary environmental and financial costs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt. You clearly explain why businesses emphasize novelty—citing market competition and consumer psychology—and provide a balanced argument regarding whether this is positive or negative. Your position is consistent throughout the essay. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the distinction between genuine innovation in sectors like healthcare and the superficial marketing tactics used in consumer electronics. The arguments are supported by relevant examples, such as the annual release of smartphone models, which effectively illustrates your point about overconsumption. The response is well-structured and directly answers both components of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The essay demonstrates a clear logical progression. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the reasons for the trend and your critical evaluation is smooth. You use a range of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'In addition,' 'However,' and 'On the other hand,' which help guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. The referencing is clear, and the flow of information is natural, making the essay easy to follow from the introduction to the conclusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'differentiate themselves,' 'culture of consumerism,' and 'environmental performance' show a good command of topic-specific language. While the vocabulary is accurate and appropriate for an academic context, it stays within a standard range. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common idiomatic expressions. However, the current usage is natural, and there are no errors in word choice that impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

The essay displays a good variety of complex sentence structures. You successfully use subordinate clauses and conditional structures, such as 'While this strategy can encourage innovation...' and '...even though they still function well.' The grammar is highly accurate, with the majority of sentences being error-free. Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no significant grammatical slips that distract the reader. The control over tense and subject-verb agreement is consistent, reflecting a high level of grammatical competence.

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