Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-11

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)

Businesses these days adertise their products as new in some way, which is good only if the products contain something new but if its the same old stuff then it is absurd. Most of the businesses do false adveritisements and lable their products as "Brand New" but in reality it is the same old version and i think that is absolutely wrong.

Advertisement is how businesses sell their products and make millions, which is okay in itself but when businesses start to false advertise, thats where the negative development is. People buy new things because adds make them thinks that they need the newer versions and what they already have is outdated but in reality the newer produts they advertise is no different than the products the consumer already use. Changing the appearence and producing new adds to make people buy their product which is no different then their older version is an immoral act.

A friend of mine bought a new TV thinking that he is upgrading to a newer model expecting to see better quality and enhanced audio system but when the TV arrived he could'nt feel any difference and realised that his purchase was in vain.

That's when i realised that companies always emphasize that their product is new making people feel the urge to buy it but it is the same old stuff with a different design and a new add.

In conclusion, I believe that companies emphasizing that their products are new which infact are no different then before should be answerable for such adds, and legals authorities should also take necessary actions when required.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You give a clear negative view of advertising products as new when they are not, and the example of your friend’s TV purchase supports this concern. However, the response addresses the question only partially: it focuses almost entirely on misleading claims and does not explain why businesses commonly emphasise novelty, such as attracting attention, competing with rivals, or encouraging repeat purchases. The opening briefly allows that genuine innovation can be positive, but this point is not developed, so the overall discussion is narrow. To strengthen the response, explain both the commercial reasons for highlighting newness and whether genuine product improvements can benefit consumers, then support each main idea with a specific explanation or example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, supporting paragraphs, a personal example, and a conclusion. The TV anecdote is relevant and gives the discussion a concrete illustration. However, progression is limited because the body paragraphs repeat the same central claim—that products are presented as new despite being unchanged—rather than developing distinct reasons and consequences. Some links are also awkward or unclear, such as “That’s when I realised,” which does not clearly connect the friend’s experience to the broader claim about companies. The conclusion largely restates the introduction. Organise the body around separate points, use clear references between claims and examples, and make each paragraph advance the argument rather than repeat it.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “false advertise,” “outdated,” “newer versions,” and “enhanced audio system,” so the main message is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are repeated, particularly “new,” “same old stuff,” and “different.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “adertise,” “adveritisements,” “lable,” and “appearence,” as well as imprecise or unnatural choices such as “false advertise” and “new adds.” These errors reduce the accuracy and polish of the vocabulary. Build a wider set of precise terms for marketing and innovation, and proofread spelling and collocations so your meaning is expressed more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentences and use clauses to express contrast and cause, for example, “People buy new things because adds make them thinks that they need the newer versions.” However, complex structures are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make parts of the response less smooth to read. Examples include “make them thinks” instead of “make them think,” “what the consumer already use” instead of “uses,” and “companies emphasizing … should be answerable,” where the sentence structure is difficult to control. Apostrophes and sentence boundaries are also inconsistent. Practise building accurate sentences with one main idea and a subordinate clause, then check subject–verb agreement, verb forms, and punctuation before adding further complexity.

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