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)

Today, companies always call their products innovative in ads. They do this to stand out from competitors and boost sales. However, many buyers now doubt these claims. This essay will explain why companies use this strategy and argue that it is only good if the product is truly advanced.

Businesses use this strategy to look more presentable in the market and to dominate in sales. Many companies in the marketplace manufacture the same types of products with different designs and quality. To stand out, each company tries its best to make catchy advertisements. In the modern world, people look for items that feature new developments and the integration of new technologies. Therefore, firms use phrases explaining that their products are advanced, which has a big impact. For example, Nvidia promoted its products by highlighting new advancements in its chips, which significantly improved annual sales on a large scale.

Whether it is good or bad completely depends on the quality and reality of the specific product. Companies often use these terms even for bad and older products, which is inappropriate. Following the strategy of catchy ads for really good and innovative products is ethical and is very useful. Many ads on platforms such as Instagram, presenting advanced and convenient products. helped people get facilitated.

To put it in a nutshell, i pen down saying that, corporations use this approach to capture the market and generate strong revenues. However, it is considered a positive development if it is used ethically for only revolutionary products.

AI examiner evaluation

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. The position is clear throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While the example of Nvidia is relevant, the discussion regarding the 'positive or negative' aspect is brief and could have been extended with more nuanced arguments or examples. The essay meets the minimum length requirement, but the brevity of the analysis prevents it from reaching a higher band. To improve, ensure that each main point is supported by more detailed explanation or a broader range of real-world examples.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main parts of the prompt. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Therefore', and 'To put it in a nutshell' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For instance, the transition from the Nvidia example to the discussion of ethics in the third paragraph is abrupt. Improving the variety of cohesive devices and ensuring smoother logical progression between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their meaning clearly. There is an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'innovative', 'competitors', 'marketplace', and 'revolutionary'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are some awkward phrasings, such as 'look more presentable in the market' and 'people get facilitated'. These choices are not entirely natural in this context. To achieve a higher score, the student should focus on using more precise collocations and a wider range of academic vocabulary to express ideas with greater sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the grammar is generally accurate and communication is not impeded, there are some minor errors and stylistic issues. For example, the sentence 'Many ads on platforms such as Instagram, presenting advanced and convenient products. helped people get facilitated' contains a punctuation error (a period used instead of a comma) and a fragmented structure. Additionally, the phrase 'i pen down saying that' is overly informal and clunky for an academic essay. Increasing the variety of complex structures and proofreading for punctuation and register would improve the score.

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