Band 9.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 9.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-04

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 9.0)

In contemporary society, most companies insist that their products incorporate new innovations and contain cutting-edge, state-of-the-art features. They attempt to make their products appear more appealing by emphasising the novelty of their innovations, even when the actual changes may be relatively minor. This is primarily because consumers are naturally attracted to new and innovative products, which intensifies competition in the market. Although this trend can encourage companies to innovate, it can also have negative consequences in the long run. I believe that while genuine innovation is beneficial, exaggerating minor improvements merely to increase sales is ultimately a negative development.

One of the primary reasons companies emphasise the novelty of their products is that it enables them to attract consumers and maximise profits. Customers often associate novelty with technological advancement and superior quality, even when a product does not represent a groundbreaking development. Consequently, companies can generate renewed demand for products that are only marginally different from their predecessors. In addition, businesses closely monitor market trends and changing consumer preferences in order to tailor their products accordingly. For instance, if consumers become increasingly concerned about the amount of RAM in their smartphones, manufacturers may increase the RAM capacity and heavily promote this feature while making few meaningful improvements in other areas. In this way, companies can capitalise on consumer priorities without necessarily introducing substantial technological advancements.

Another reason why this trend can be considered negative is that it creates intense competition, which may encourage companies to adopt misleading marketing practices. In highly competitive markets, businesses need to distinguish their products from those of their rivals. As a result, they frequently rely on terms such as "cutting-edge", "brand-new" and "improved" to create the impression that their products offer significant advantages over competing alternatives. Such language can give consumers a false sense of confidence and persuade them that a particular product is substantially better than its competitors, even when the differences are negligible. Therefore, novelty has increasingly become a powerful psychological marketing tool that can influence consumer behaviour and encourage unnecessary purchases.

Nevertheless, I believe that competition and the pursuit of novelty can be beneficial when they are genuinely driven by consumer needs. Fierce competition can encourage companies to invest in research and development and respond more effectively to customer feedback. For example, competition among smartphone manufacturers has contributed to substantial improvements in battery life, as consumers have increasingly prioritised longer-lasting devices. Similarly, Google Pixel smartphones have introduced a range of AI-powered features that provide practical benefits to users, demonstrating how genuine innovation can improve the consumer experience. In such cases, novelty is not merely a marketing strategy but a reflection of meaningful technological progress.

In conclusion, companies increasingly emphasise novelty because new and supposedly improved products attract consumers and help businesses remain competitive. Although genuine innovation can benefit both companies and consumers, I believe that portraying minor modifications as major technological breakthroughs is misleading and can encourage unnecessary consumption. The ideal approach would therefore be for companies to respond to genuine market needs and customer feedback while ensuring that claims about innovation accurately reflect the improvements their products provide.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt. You clearly explain why businesses emphasize novelty—to maximize profits and maintain competitiveness—and provide a balanced, well-reasoned argument regarding whether this is a positive or negative development. Your position is consistent throughout the essay. Ideas are well-developed with relevant examples, such as the mention of smartphone RAM and Google Pixel’s AI features, which effectively illustrate your points. The conclusion synthesizes your arguments well, offering a nuanced perspective that acknowledges both the benefits of genuine innovation and the drawbacks of misleading marketing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 9.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct central theme, and the transition between paragraphs is smooth. You use a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'consequently', 'in addition', 'nevertheless', and 'similarly', which help guide the reader through your argument. The paragraphing is skillful and appropriate for the structure of an IELTS Task 2 essay. There is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive use of linking words; the flow is natural and professional throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.5

You demonstrate a wide and sophisticated range of vocabulary. Phrases such as 'contemporary society', 'groundbreaking development', 'marginally different', and 'unnecessary consumption' are used with precision and natural collocation. You successfully incorporate less common lexical items to convey complex ideas without any noticeable errors in word choice. The vocabulary is consistently appropriate for an academic context, showing a high level of control and flexibility that enhances the clarity and impact of your arguments.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 9.0

The essay displays a wide range of complex grammatical structures with high accuracy. You effectively use conditional sentences, relative clauses, and varied sentence lengths to maintain interest and clarity. Punctuation is used correctly to support the structure of your arguments. There are virtually no grammatical errors, and the few minor slips that might exist are rare and do not impede communication in any way. Your control over complex sentence forms is consistent and demonstrates a high level of proficiency.

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