Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-19

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)

Now a days , many businesses usually advertising that their products are new and improved for increasing their business . i think it is a negative effect because it also creates negative development . To commence with , businesses are make small changes on products with something new, while the product is same, they advertise that their products are new , improved and modern now for increasing sales . they want to compete with other companies and make their image better in market . it encourage unnecassary spending people may buy new products but their old ones are still worked . for example , the mobile phone companies are launch new models after one year with extra large capacity of battery and cleared cameras , they do it because they want to increased their sales .however , it also creates consumerism , people think that if they do not buy new products they will not updated and latest . on the other hand , it can be create misleading , companies called a product new because mainly of marketing strategy , even development is very small . it also creates more waste because people want to be modern they also compete with others , even they have old phones , old clothes that still worked . in conclusion , with my opinion , although promoting new products can attract costumers but it also have negative effects because it also encourages misleading ,more waste consumerism, encourages unnesessary spending, and make pressure on consumers .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: explaining why businesses emphasize new products 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 you mention competition and consumerism, the arguments could be more thoroughly extended with more nuanced analysis. For instance, the point about 'misleading' marketing is introduced but not fully explored in terms of its broader societal impact. The response meets the requirements of the task, but the depth of argumentation is consistent with a mid-range band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the structure is quite basic. While there is a logical progression from the reasons for advertising to the negative impacts, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive (e.g., 'it also creates', 'it also encourages'). Paragraphing is present, but the transition between ideas within paragraphs could be smoother. Some sentences are run-on, which affects the flow of information. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus supported by well-connected sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic terms like 'new', 'good', and 'bad', and there are frequent spelling errors such as 'unnecassary', 'costumers' (instead of customers), and 'unnesessary'. Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'their old ones are still worked' or 'it can be create misleading'. To improve, focus on learning collocations and more sophisticated synonyms for common words. Expanding your vocabulary to include more academic or topic-specific terms would significantly enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'businesses are make small changes'), tense inconsistencies (e.g., 'their old ones are still worked'), and punctuation errors. The use of articles and prepositions is also inconsistent. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors is high. You should focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common grammatical slips, such as verb forms and pluralization, to improve your accuracy.

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

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