Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-04

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 5.0)

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? Companies invest more in research and development.

Better products improve people's quality of life.

Companies want to appear innovative and forward-thinking.

Customers believe the company is continuously improving.

A modern image strengthens brand loyalty.

Example:

Medical devices and smartphones have become safer and more efficient because firms compete through innovation. Customers can select products with features that better suit their needs.

Competition often improves quality. Innovation creates jobs.

Successful new products increase sales and economic growth. If customers believe products become outdated quickly, they buy replacements sooner.

Shorter replacement cycles.

Higher company profits.

Repeat purchases.

People buy products they do not actually need.

Advertising creates artificial demand.

Example:

Many people replace perfectly working phones simply because a newer model is released Frequent replacement of products creates electronic and plastic waste.

Manufacturing more goods increases pollution and resource consumption. Sometimes "new" only refers to minor cosmetic changes.

Consumers may pay more without receiving significant improvements.

Example:

A snack company labels its product "new" after changing only the packaging. I believe this trend is largely beneficial because it encourages businesses to invest in research and development.

Furthermore, consumers ultimately benefit from higher-quality and more efficient products.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt, identifying reasons for the 'newness' trend and providing a personal opinion. However, the essay is written in a fragmented, note-like style rather than as a cohesive academic essay. The word count is significantly below the 250-word requirement, which limits the depth of development. While the ideas regarding innovation and consumerism are relevant, they are presented as bullet points or short, disconnected sentences rather than fully developed paragraphs. To improve, you must expand these points into complete, flowing paragraphs with clear topic sentences and supporting evidence, ensuring the total length meets the minimum requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text lacks a standard essay structure, including an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The use of bullet-point-style formatting and fragmented sentences makes the progression of ideas difficult to follow. There is a lack of cohesive devices (such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in contrast') to link ideas together. The response reads more like a brainstorming outline than a formal piece of writing. To achieve a higher band, you need to organize your thoughts into coherent paragraphs and use transition words to guide the reader through your argument logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally accurate but quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'better products', 'improve', and 'new' are used frequently without much variation. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general meaning, there is little evidence of less common lexical items or sophisticated collocations that would demonstrate a wider range. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to business, economics, and consumer behavior, and ensure you use a variety of synonyms to avoid repetition.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The grammar is generally simple and mostly error-free, but the lack of complex sentence structures is a significant limitation. The response relies almost exclusively on short, simple sentences. There is no attempt to use subordination, relative clauses, or varied sentence types, which are necessary for higher band scores. While the meaning is clear, the lack of grammatical variety makes the writing feel repetitive and underdeveloped. You should focus on combining simple sentences into complex ones using conjunctions and relative pronouns to improve the flow and sophistication of your writing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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