Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-14

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 7.5)

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 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task. The student clearly explores why businesses emphasise novelty in their products, citing consumer attraction and market competition, and presents a well-supported personal viewpoint that exaggerating minor changes is a negative development. The position is maintained clearly throughout the essay, from the introduction to the conclusion. Ideas are well-developed and supported with relevant examples, such as smartphone RAM capacity and battery life improvements, alongside Google Pixel's AI features. The response meets all criteria for a Band 8.0 in Task Achievement by providing a fully developed, well-supported, and comprehensive exploration of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

Coherence and cohesion are managed to a high standard throughout the response. The essay is logically sequenced, with each paragraph serving a distinct purpose in the progression of the argument. Introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion are clearly delineated. Cohesive devices such as 'Consequently', 'In addition', 'For instance', and 'Nevertheless' are used naturally and flexibly to guide the reader through the argumentation without feeling mechanical or overused. Referencing and substitution are handled smoothly, maintaining clear links between ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately and sufficiently to structure the overall discussion, fully satisfying the requirements for Band 8.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The writer demonstrates a wide, fluent, and flexible lexical resource suitable for an academic context. Less common and sophisticated items such as 'contemporary society', 'cutting-edge', 'state-of-the-art', 'groundbreaking development', and 'psychological marketing tool' are used skillfully and naturally. Word choice and collocations are generally accurate, with only rare minor inappropriacies. Spelling and word formation are flawless throughout the 517-word text. The range of vocabulary allows the writer to convey precise meanings and nuances efficiently, aligning strongly with the Band 8.0 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response exhibits a wide range of complex grammatical structures used with a high degree of flexibility and control. The majority of sentences are error-free, and complex constructions involving subordinate clauses, participle phrases, and conditional ideas are handled with ease. For example, sentences such as 'Customers often associate novelty with technological advancement and superior quality, even when a product does not represent a groundbreaking development' demonstrate structural sophistication. Punctuation is accurate, and grammar errors are virtually non-existent, making this a clear example of Band 8.0 grammatical performance where only occasional non-systematic slips might theoretically occur.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.