Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-12

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, people claim that their products are novel in their advertisements to attract customers and to outstand from their competitors. I believe it is a positive development because it help customers to select the product and may prevent financial loss.

People emphasise that their products have some unique properties due to several reasons. Same kind of products are being sold by many vendors, they highlight unique features to prove that their products possess novelty. In addition, due to increased competition in the market, business owners need to inforce that their products are better than others in some way. For instance, J. brand claim that their fragrances are alcohol-free to attract their customers in muslim countries, as they prefer halal products. In this way they will be successful in making a perception that they hold a property which is different from others.

In my opinion, it is a positive development because it helps customers to know about the main features of the product and allow them to choose according to their need or choice. For example, if a mobile company claim that their products have better battery life, the person who needs long battery timing will benefit from their advert and buy the exact thing which is in need.

In conclusion, I believe that business owners need to do a lot of publicity of their products due to increased market competition and to attract the customers by telling unique properties. It has no harmful effects, so it is a positive development for the society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: explaining why businesses emphasize novelty and providing an opinion on whether this is positive or negative. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While the example of the fragrance brand is relevant, the explanation of why this is a 'positive development' remains quite superficial. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the broader implications of this trend, perhaps discussing the balance between consumer information and potential manipulation through marketing, rather than focusing solely on the convenience of product features.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'For instance', and 'In conclusion' are used to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. For example, the phrase 'their products' is used frequently, which makes the writing feel slightly monotonous. Improving the variety of transition signals and using pronouns or synonyms to refer back to previously mentioned concepts would enhance the overall flow and cohesion of your arguments.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'competitors', 'novelty', and 'publicity'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'outstand from their competitors' (should be 'stand out from') and 'inforce' (likely meant 'enforce' or 'emphasize'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic descriptors. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and avoid repeating the same phrases throughout the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For instance, 'it help customers' should be 'it helps customers' (subject-verb agreement), and 'the person who needs long battery timing will benefit... and buy the exact thing which is in need' is slightly awkward. There are also minor punctuation and article usage errors. To achieve a higher score, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and refining the accuracy of your complex sentence constructions.

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.