Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-08
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)
It is undeniable that advertising is a big and complex industry , some people believe that modern business and advertising industry nowadays place emphasis on their products being new and advanced , it is due to the rising competition among the different companies , i think it can lead to a positive development regarding the production .
On the one hand , competition can lead to some positive outcomes such as the production of new and good products and proper advertising , competition between companies can be seen in a positive light , For example - competition of advertising between 2 detergent companies helped in the production of better quality detergents for some time . Therefore some competition is needed in this industry for the betterment of products.
On the other hand , competition can lead to some negative outcomes too one of them being false advertising , to get ahead of the competition some companies handle a way which is much cheaper than increasing their product quality that is false advertising . Many products are falsely advertised in today's market and it is mostly done to "get ahead of the competition" , this leads to the loss in consumer side who buy products which are falsely advertised .
In my opinion companies emphasizing on products which are new in some way can be seen in a positive light mostly because it has more pros than cons.
In conclusion , emphasis on products which are advertised as new can be seen in both positive or negative ways.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
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 quite limited. The explanation for why companies emphasize 'newness' is brief, and the discussion on the positive and negative aspects lacks depth and specific, well-explained examples. The example of the detergent companies is too vague to be fully convincing. To reach a higher band, you need to extend your arguments with more detailed reasoning and clearer illustrations of how these business practices impact society or consumers.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the transition 'On the one hand' and 'On the other hand' is used, but the internal flow within paragraphs is disjointed due to frequent comma splices and run-on sentences. The conclusion is also very brief and does not effectively summarize the main points discussed. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows logically into the next would significantly improve the coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is generally functional but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'big', 'good', and 'new'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'handle a way which is much cheaper'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of sophisticated or topic-specific vocabulary (e.g., 'innovation', 'market saturation', 'consumer behavior', 'deceptive marketing') limits the score. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and ensure that your word choices are appropriate for a formal essay.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The grammatical range is limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences or run-on sentences connected by commas. There are frequent punctuation errors, specifically the use of comma splices where full stops or semicolons are required (e.g., '...complex industry , some people believe...'). Additionally, there are issues with capitalization (e.g., 'i think') and sentence structure. While the meaning is usually understandable, the high frequency of basic grammatical errors and the lack of complex sentence structures prevent a higher score. Focusing on sentence boundaries and correct punctuation will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.