Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

Modern advertising heavily focuses on promoting products as "new," whether through updated features, redesigned packaging, or advanced technology. This trend is driven by consumer behavior and intense market competition, and in my opinion, it is largely a negative development for society.

Businesses emphasize novelty primarily because modern consumers are naturally curious and easily drawn to change. A product labeled as "new" creates an impression of improvement and higher quality compared to older versions. Additionally, market competition forces companies to continuously grab attention. By marketing an item as new, brands create a sense of urgency, persuading people that their current possessions are outdated and need an immediate upgrade.

However, I believe this trend brings more drawbacks than benefits. The main issue is that it promotes excessive consumerism. Many advertised "new" products only feature minor visual changes rather than real improvements, tricking consumers into spending money on items they do not truly need. For instance, smartphone companies often release new models every year with only slight camera or color updates, yet millions of people replace their working phones.

Furthermore, this continuous purchasing cycle generates a massive amount of environmental waste. When people discard old products prematurely to buy new ones, electronic waste and trash accumulate rapidly, putting severe pressure on global ecosystems and resources.

In conclusion, companies highlight novelty in advertising to capture attention and boost sales in a competitive market. Although this strategy keeps industries innovative, I view it as a negative development because it encourages unnecessary spending and harms the environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses both parts of the prompt. You clearly explain why businesses emphasize novelty—citing consumer curiosity and market competition—and provide a well-reasoned argument for why this is a negative development. Your position is consistent throughout the essay. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the point regarding environmental waste and the cycle of consumerism. You support your arguments with a relevant, real-world example of smartphone manufacturers. The essay is balanced and directly answers the question, meeting all requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

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 smooth. You use a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Additionally,' 'However,' 'The main issue is,' and 'Furthermore,' which help guide the reader through your argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the reasons for the trend from your critical evaluation. The structure is coherent, and the relationship between ideas is always clear, making the text easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for an academic essay. Phrases like 'intense market competition,' 'excessive consumerism,' and 'global ecosystems' show a strong command of topic-specific language. The word choices are precise and contribute to the clarity of your argument. While the vocabulary is accurate and natural, it stays within a standard range. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated, less common collocations or idiomatic academic expressions, though the current level is already quite effective and error-free.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

Your grammar is highly accurate, and you use a variety of sentence structures effectively. You successfully combine simple and complex sentences, such as the use of conditional-like structures ('When people discard... electronic waste... accumulate') and participial phrases ('tricking consumers into...'). Punctuation is used correctly throughout. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and there are no significant grammatical slips that impede communication. The control over complex structures is consistent, which reflects a high level of grammatical competence.

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