Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-18

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 this modern era, advertisement plays a crucial role in the growth of business. Nowadays, many companies are highlighting that their products are new in some way or bring the focus on the fact, how their product can have a positive effect on the consumer. While, this may have certain drawbacks, I believe it is a positive development overall.

Firstly, In today's world, businesses in order to stay with the trend need to launch products that are different from others, as the world of competition is increasing day by day, until and unless you do not provide something unique, it will not be valued or purchased by the individuals. As an epitome, there are many skincare brands, but not all businesses are successful, only the ones that have something different that is required by the people is considered. Having more and effective SPF or niacinamide can be considered as USP for skincare brands and an example to support this section.

Moreover, this can have a positive development as the requirements of the people are being fulfilled and the trend is being taken care of. This completely depends on the advertising that the businesses do.

Emphasizing products is also necessary for good sales but it relies on how the information is being delivered. Providing fake information just for the sake of marketing the product should not be supported because when the product does not match the expectations raised during watching that advertisement then it can impact on the company's reputation. So, providing right content with the product's distinctiveness is supported.

In conclusion, emphasizing products for advertising does have certain drawbacks, however the positive development outweighs it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: why businesses emphasize newness and whether this is positive or negative. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. The explanation for why companies emphasize newness is clear, but the discussion regarding whether it is a positive or negative development is slightly repetitive and lacks depth. For instance, the argument about 'fake information' is relevant but could have been expanded with a more concrete example beyond a general statement. The position is clear throughout, but the supporting arguments would benefit from more detailed analysis to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'As an epitome' (which is not standard usage in this context) and 'As a support to this section'. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be smoother to improve the overall coherence of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'USP' (Unique Selling Proposition), 'niacinamide', and 'distinctiveness'. However, there are some instances of imprecise word choice or awkward phrasing, such as 'As an epitome' instead of 'For example' or 'As a case in point'. Additionally, the phrase 'until and unless you do not provide' is grammatically clunky and redundant. A wider range of sophisticated vocabulary would be needed for a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses 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 example, 'advertisement plays' should be 'advertising plays', and 'bring the focus on the fact, how their product' is syntactically incorrect. There are also issues with punctuation and sentence construction, such as the comma splice in the first paragraph. While these errors do not prevent communication, they are frequent enough to limit the score to a 6.0.

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