Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-17

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 7.0)

Nowadays, many businesses place great emphasis on presenting their products as new, improved, or innovative in their advertisements. This is mainly because consumers are attracted to novelty and companies need to distinguish their products from those of competitors. Although this trend can encourage innovation, I believe it is generally a negative development because it can promote unnecessary consumption and create unrealistic expectations.

One major reason why businesses emphasise novelty is that people are naturally interested in new products and improvements. In highly competitive markets, companies need to persuade customers that their products offer something different from existing alternatives. For example, smartphone manufacturers frequently advertise new camera systems, faster processors, or redesigned features, even when the differences between successive models are relatively small. Such advertising can make consumers feel that purchasing the latest version will provide a significantly better experience.

Another reason is that presenting a product as new can increase sales and strengthen a company's image. A business that continually introduces new products may appear innovative and modern, which can attract customers and encourage brand loyalty. In addition, advertisements often create the impression that older products are outdated, even if they continue to function effectively.

However, I believe this development has several negative consequences. First, it can encourage people to replace perfectly usable possessions unnecessarily. For instance, consumers may buy a new mobile phone every year despite their existing device still working well. This contributes to excessive consumption, increases household expenditure, and creates more electronic waste. Second, constant emphasis on novelty may lead consumers to judge products based on marketing rather than their actual quality or usefulness. As a result, companies may spend more money on advertising minor changes instead of making substantial improvements.

In conclusion, businesses highlight the newness of their products because novelty attracts consumers and helps companies compete in crowded markets. While this can stimulate innovation, the resulting culture of frequent replacement and unnecessary consumption makes it, in my view, a largely negative development.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student fully addresses all parts of the task. The introduction clearly outlines both why businesses emphasise newness (attracting consumers, standing out from competitors) and presents a well-supported personal position that this is a negative development due to unnecessary consumption and unrealistic expectations. Each body paragraph is well-developed with relevant examples, such as smartphone manufacturers advertising incremental updates. The conclusion nicely ties the arguments together and reinforces the writer's stance. The ideas are extended and supported thoroughly throughout, fully satisfying the requirements for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response features a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, moving smoothly from the introductory position to reasons for the trend, reasons for the negative impact, and finally a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices are used flexibly and appropriately (e.g., 'One major reason', 'Another reason', 'However', 'For instance', 'As a result'). Paragraphing is fully utilised and logical. The flow of ideas from sentence to sentence is natural and easy to follow, easily meeting the criteria for a strong Band 7.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with good flexibility and precision. Less common lexical items are used appropriately, such as 'distinguish', 'successive models', 'excessive consumption', 'substantive improvements', and 'stimulate innovation'. Word choices are generally accurate and suited to an academic style, with only occasional standard phrasing ('judging products based on marketing'). The vocabulary allows the writer to convey precise meanings smoothly and effectively, fitting the Band 7 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The writer uses a wide variety of complex sentence structures with good control. Examples include concessive clauses ('Although this trend can encourage innovation...') and relative clauses ('...even if they continue to function effectively'). There are frequent error-free sentences, and punctuation is handled well throughout. Grammar and control are consistently strong, with only very occasional minor slips, placing this securely in the Band 8 category for grammatical range and accuracy.

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