Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-05

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)

In Recent years, advertisement companies are increasing rapidly. Many businesses are advertising to emphasis that their products have some new quality since they are encouraging consumers to buy them. I partially believe that it is both positive and negative development.

Manufacturers are promoting their product through advertisement by spending a high amount on sales and marketing, Making ads showing positive effects of the product and also shows the outcomes of using the item because it generally attracts buyers and encourage them to purchase the product. As a result it also boost the sales of items.

A major advantage of this way is that purchasers can rely on the product by watching the ads and also checks the review. This method of promoting is advantageous to producers since they gain a large ratio of sales but it has some drawbacks that product makers mainly display the positive effects. Many items has harmful chemicals which are dangerous for human health and not suitable for everyone. Additionally, companies also hides these chemicals by printing them in a small letters however, resulting it to a negative development.

In conclusion, i firmly believe advertising is an effective way to promotes products and have a valuable effect on producers. It has few drawbacks, misleading consumers and displaying only the good reviews but it can be balance if manufacturers are trustworthy and reveal the true impacts and effects of the product. So i believe it is both negative and positive development if used in a balanced and correct way.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: explaining why businesses emphasize 'newness' and providing an opinion on whether this is positive or negative. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. While you mention that companies use ads to boost sales and that this can be misleading, the explanation lacks depth and specific examples. For instance, you mention 'harmful chemicals' but do not provide a concrete example or a more nuanced discussion of how this impacts consumer trust. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your arguments with more detailed reasoning and clearer real-world illustrations to fully develop your position.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'As a result', 'Additionally', and 'In conclusion'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear. For example, in the second paragraph, the transition between discussing marketing spend and the impact on sales could be smoother. Furthermore, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some relevant topic-specific terms like 'manufacturers', 'consumers', and 'marketing'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'gain a large ratio of sales' and 'printing them in a small letters'. To improve, you should focus on using more precise collocations and a wider range of academic vocabulary. Avoid repetitive phrasing and try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms to demonstrate a higher level of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('Many items has', 'companies also hides') and article usage errors ('a negative development' vs 'a positive and negative development'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with capitalization and comma usage. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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