Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-07

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 face intense competition, and many companies advertise their products by highlighting new features or improvements. They do this to attract customers and increase sales. In my opinion, this is a positive development because it encourages innovation and provides consumers with better-quality products at competitive prices.

The main reason businesses emphasise that their products are new is to stand out from their competitors. In today's crowded market, consumers have many choices, so companies must convince people that their products offer something unique. For example, a clothing brand launches new collections every season and advertises the latest designs to attract customers. By promoting new styles and improved quality, businesses can increase public awareness and encourage more people to purchase their products.

I believe this trend benefits consumers in several ways. Firstly, companies continuously improve their products by adding new features or enhancing quality in order to stay competitive. As a result, customers receive better products that meet their changing needs. Secondly, competition often leads to lower prices because businesses try to attract more buyers by offering discounts or better value for money. Consequently, consumers can purchase high-quality products at affordable prices.

In conclusion, businesses advertise their products as new because they want to attract customers and remain competitive in the market. Overall, I believe this is a positive development since it promotes innovation, improves product quality, and allows consumers to enjoy better products at more reasonable prices.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The essay addresses both parts of the prompt: explaining why businesses emphasize newness and providing a clear opinion on whether this is positive or negative. However, the response is 237 words, failing to meet the 250-word minimum requirement. This under-length significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the arguments regarding competition and consumer benefits are relevant, they remain somewhat superficial and could have been extended with more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach the required length and provide a more comprehensive response. The position is clear throughout, but the lack of depth due to the word count limits the score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Consequently', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. However, the transitions are somewhat mechanical and predictable. To achieve a higher band, the student should aim for more sophisticated referencing and a wider variety of cohesive links that flow more naturally between sentences, rather than relying on standard list-like connectors.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication. The student uses relevant terms such as 'intense competition', 'public awareness', and 'value for money'. However, the range is somewhat limited and lacks the 'less common' lexical items that would demonstrate a higher level of precision and sophistication. There is some repetition of basic words like 'products' and 'businesses'. To improve, the student should incorporate more varied synonyms and collocations to express ideas with greater nuance and stylistic flair.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a good level of grammatical control. There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, and the majority of sentences are error-free. Punctuation is generally accurate, and the writing is easy to read. While the grammar is reliable, the range of complex structures is somewhat limited; the student relies heavily on straightforward sentence patterns. To reach a higher band, the student should attempt to use a wider variety of complex grammatical forms, such as conditional sentences or more sophisticated relative clauses, while maintaining the current level of accuracy.

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

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