Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-20
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)
From business perspective, many people claim that they have something new or different from other products for advertisements. In my point of view, it is a positive thing because it catches the attention of people in a large amount as compared to if they simply said that their products consist of these things. For example, when cosmetic brands promote their businesses by saying that they have these chemicals like glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, gluten and vitamins. People think that they are just like other brands. It means, it is very important to add some spice in their advertisements. For instance: they are not adding some harmful products like Sulphur, coal, salts, and steroids.
Moreover, there are many benefits of doing this for example: it catches the attention of public easily, it makes the items different from the items of other brands. On the other hand, it is also fascinating for those people who are willing to try new and different things. Like me, whenever I go to the market no matter for what even for shopping, to buy clothes, grocery items, bakery products, cosmetics and shoes. I always seeking to try different thing that I never tried before. It helps me to gain experience of new things and makes me ready to explore something unique.
To conclude this, I would say that it is beneficial for a business to mention that they have unique products for advertisements. But the one thing that they have always to keep in mind that they should do honest advertisement. In this way, they would make progress by leaps and bounds.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
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. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. The explanation for why businesses use this strategy is repetitive, focusing primarily on 'catching attention.' The personal example regarding shopping is relevant but lacks depth in terms of broader societal or economic impact. To reach a higher band, you should explore more complex reasons, such as market saturation, consumer psychology, or the pressure of rapid technological advancement, and provide more substantial support for your position.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, and there is a logical progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover,' 'On the other hand,' and 'To conclude this.' However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the transition into the example about cosmetic brands. Additionally, some sentences are fragmented or lack smooth flow, which affects the overall coherence. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each sentence connects logically to the previous one would enhance the readability and flow 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 'cosmetic brands' and 'market saturation' (implied). However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'add some spice' and 'in a large amount.' The phrasing 'I always seeking to try' contains a grammatical error that also impacts lexical accuracy. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and a wider range of academic vocabulary to express your ideas with greater sophistication.
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 frequent grammatical errors, such as 'I always seeking' (should be 'I am always seeking'), 'no matter for what even for shopping' (awkward phrasing), and 'the one thing that they have always to keep in mind' (incorrect word order). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of colons and commas. To achieve a higher score, you need to increase the frequency of error-free sentences and ensure better control over complex grammatical structures, particularly subject-verb agreement and word order.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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