Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-28

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)

In recent years, there has been a growing trend of businesses using advertisments to represent that their products are new in some way. Although this trend has certain advantages, I believe it comes with far more disadvantages, making it a negative development.

One of the drawbacks of this development is that it may mislead people. People tend to purchase goods that offer better results. If companies advertise the same products in a way that makes it appear to have enhanced results than the ones that are locally avaliable at affordable prices. This may not only decieve citizens to purchase expensive products with the equivalent results to the local products but also disappoint them in a long run when they find about it. For instance, such businesses are not long lasting, because people often find out about their strategy and stop purchasing their products. Moreover, If major companies sell their products, based on false advertisment, people tend to stop buying the same products from the local shops, hurting the local businesses.

However, there are some advantages of emphasing the products in a certain way, which play a vital role in businesses' success. One primary advantage is that it encourage people to purchase it. If local businesses offer the same product with relatively small amount of money, pupils would not buy it from elsewhere. Therefore, many businesses come with an idea to advertise the same product in a unique way.

In conculsion, there is no doubt that such advertisments can have positive impacts such as boosting sales, the negative side is much more critical, this can not only mislead people in spending extra money but also disappoint them in long term. It can also negatively effect local businesses. Thus, I strongly believe that it is a negative development.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You give a clear overall view that the trend is negative and address both the reasons businesses promote products as new and the effects of this practice. The discussion of misleading consumers and possible harm to local shops is relevant, and the conclusion restates your position. However, the reasons are only partly developed: the claim that businesses use a “unique way” to encourage purchases is not explained in enough detail, and the example about companies losing customers remains general rather than illustrating a specific case. The response therefore addresses the task only partially, with ideas that need fuller explanation and support. Develop each main point through a clear cause-and-effect explanation or a concrete example, and make the reasons for emphasising novelty more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph on disadvantages, a paragraph on advantages, and a conclusion. Linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “However,” and “Therefore” help signal relationships between points. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes unclear. The sentence beginning “If companies advertise…” is incomplete, and the shift from misleading advertising to local businesses is not fully connected to the preceding explanation. The advantage paragraph also moves quickly from local businesses to why companies advertise, without developing the link. Use complete topic sentences and make each paragraph follow a clear sequence of claim, explanation, and example. More precise referencing would also help readers follow which businesses or products each point concerns.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “mislead,” “enhanced results,” “advertise,” and “negative development,” and the meaning is generally understandable. There is also an attempt to use less common expressions such as “play a vital role.” However, the range is limited and several word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors reduce precision, including “represent that their products are new,” “emphasing,” “advertisments,” and “effect local businesses.” Some wording is also vague, such as “in a certain way” and “the same product.” Aim for more precise language about product innovation and promotional claims, and check spelling carefully. Using accurate phrases such as “promote products as innovative” would make the argument clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including a concession in the introduction (“Although this trend has certain advantages…”) and conditional sentences beginning “If.” However, control is uneven, and some sentence structures are faulty. “If companies advertise the same products…” is left without a main clause, while “it encourage people” has a subject–verb agreement error. The sentence beginning “In conclusion” also joins contrasting ideas with a comma, creating a run-on structure. There are further problems with articles and sentence patterns, as in “in a long run” and “find about it.” Practise completing conditional clauses, checking agreement, and separating independent clauses with a full stop or suitable conjunction. These corrections would make your meaning easier to follow.

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