Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-01
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's rapidly changing world is evolving many aspects of life significantly. In recent time some businesses boast that their materials are different from other products. This trend is largely driven by consumers' desire for the latest innovations and in my view, it can have both negative and positive development because it depends on the situation.
The reason behind this is because the company wants to show that they are not selling the same thing, which is available everywhere, but they have both the quality and performance as well. Moreover, they want to show public that they are using latest technology as well. However, another reason is that sometimes they want to attract a certain type of customers as well by showing their ads. Additionally, they show the benefits of their products as well in the ad so, they can get more attention as well. While in rare reasons it can be an ad to show off to their competitors as well.
On the other hand, I think this action can sometimes have a negative effect and sometimes a positive effect as well. It depends on the company how well they show their ad and how much they resemble their final product with the ad. Because, if the quality doesn't match that of shown in ad the company can get a lot of backlashes from citizens.
In conclusion, showing advertisements is all up to a business and they have to be the one responsible for their actions. Likely, they have to be truthful in their ad about their product.
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: the reasons for emphasizing 'newness' and the evaluation of whether this is positive or negative. However, the development of ideas is quite limited. The reasons provided in the second paragraph are repetitive and lack specific examples or depth. For instance, the mention of 'latest technology' or 'attracting customers' is stated but not explored with sufficient detail. The position on whether the trend is positive or negative is somewhat vague, as the essay states it 'depends on the situation' without providing a clear, sustained argument. To improve, you should provide concrete examples, such as the tech industry or fashion, to illustrate your points more effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'The reason behind this is', 'Moreover', and 'Additionally' are used to link sentences, but the flow between ideas feels disjointed at times. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'While in rare reasons it can be an ad to show off to their competitors as well,' which lacks a clear connection to the previous sentence. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher band. You rely on basic terms such as 'materials', 'things', and 'good/bad'. There is an attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'innovations' and 'competitors', but these are not supported by a wider range of sophisticated collocations. Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'get a lot of backlashes from citizens' (backlash is usually uncountable, and 'consumers' would be more precise than 'citizens' in this context). To improve, focus on learning topic-specific synonyms and more precise collocations related to marketing and business.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. For example, 'In recent time' should be 'In recent times', and 'it can have both negative and positive development' is grammatically awkward. There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases, such as 'show public' instead of 'show the public'. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles would significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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