Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-11-06

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In some societies, obesity is regarded as a major problem. Some people believe that junk food advertising is largely to blame for this problem and should be banned. However, others feel that junk food advertising does not contribute to the problem of obesity and should not be banned.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience·and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence. Write at least 250 words.

Student answer (Band 5.0)

Some people say that junk food advertising is largely to blame for the problem of obesity and should be bunned, whereas others believe that it doesn't have any negative effect on people and should not be banned. This essay will discuss both views and give my opinion.

From my perspective, unhealthy food advertising can cause a significant number of health problems such as obesity, diabetes, heart problems and other diseases. The first significant reason for this is that people see advertising of junk food and they want to buy it right away, and if this keep happening over and over again, it can lead to numerous diseases. In addition, it can lead to unhealthy eating habits, which have a lot of negative influences on people's health. The second major reason for this is that advertising can shape children's opinion about unhealthy food, which can also cause serious consequences. For instance, children can ask their parents to buy fast food, candies and other unhealthy food. Furtheremore, advertising can demonstrate their products as healthy and beneficial for individuals and negatively influence their opinion about food.

Despite these drawbacks of advertising of junk food, there are also several nuances about it. If advertising will be banned, some individuals would still lead a sedentary lifestyle and eat food that negatively affect on their health. This is mainly because ad blocking may not stop people from buying junk food, because some people may don't pay attention on their health.

In conclusion, from my view, ad blocking cannot completely prevent people from buying unhealthy food, but can reduce diseases such as obesity, diabetes and other dangerous illnesses.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You introduce the topic and state that you will discuss both views, and your own position is clearest in the conclusion: advertising cannot prevent all unhealthy choices but may reduce illness. The first view is supported with relevant points about repeated exposure and children, including the example of children asking parents to buy fast food. However, the opposing view is only briefly addressed through sedentary lifestyles and people ignoring their health; it does not explain why advertising should not be banned or develop that side of the debate. Your position is also not consistently clear in the body. To strengthen the response, explain both views more evenly and make your judgement explicit throughout, with a specific example or evidence supporting each main point. (Nine words copied from the task prompt were not counted.)

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph mainly supporting restrictions, a paragraph presenting a counterpoint, and a conclusion. Sequencing phrases such as “The first significant reason,” “In addition,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the main points. However, progression is limited because the second view receives much less development, and several linking expressions make the argument feel like a list of reasons rather than a connected discussion. The reference in “Despite these drawbacks” is also unclear, since the preceding paragraph mainly describes harms rather than drawbacks of advertising. Build a clearer progression by giving each view a focused paragraph, linking each example directly to its claim, and using references that clearly identify the idea being contrasted.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “obesity,” “sedentary lifestyle,” “unhealthy eating habits,” and “advertising.” There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “significant number of health problems” and “serious consequences.” However, the range is limited by repeated use of “advertising,” “unhealthy,” and “negative,” and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, which can make the argument less precise. Examples include “nuances about it,” “influence their opinion about food,” and “ad blocking” when you mean a ban on advertising. Spelling errors such as “bunned” and “Furtheremore” are noticeable. Aim for more precise topic vocabulary and check spelling and natural word combinations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “which” and “because,” and most of the message remains understandable. However, complex structures are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to read. For example, “if this keep happening” has an agreement error, while “If advertising will be banned” uses an unsuitable verb form after “if.” In “some people may don't pay attention,” the modal construction is incorrect; “may not pay attention” would be grammatical. There are also problems with agreement and sentence patterns in “food that negatively affect on their health.” Practise conditional forms, modal verbs, subject–verb agreement, and verb patterns, then proofread each sentence for a clear grammatical structure.

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.