Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-10-30

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 5.5)

Obesity is considered a significant issue in a few societies. Some individuals hold the junk food advertisements responsible for this issue and want it to be banned. Whereas, some people are of the opinion that junk food advertisements are not causing this problem, so it should not be prohibited. I believe that if advertisement is the cause of this problem then healthy food should be advertised as often as junk food to compare the results.

Some individuals think that junk food advertisements are mainly responsible for the obesity and should be prohibited, but I disagree with them. They might think that way because junk food advertisements are very temtping and they make people hard to control their urge to eat it, but no one forced them to eat junk food. For example, a KFC advertisement only displays the burger and chicken piece image that looks tempting, but they never forced the people into eating it. So majority of the time it is individual's own choice about what they want to eat, so blame should not be on advertisements.

For people, who believe that junk food advertisements are not the problem and should not be banned, I agree with them. If healthy food and junk food very advertised at the same frequency then people would still go for junk food because it is more tempting, even if healthy food advertisement clearly explained the benefits of eating it. Humans find it hard to control their urges and they easily fall to temptation rather than relying on their rationality. So in my opinion advertisements should not be blamed and people should focus more on fitness and healthy food.

In conclusion, junk food advertisements should not be blamed for obesity, and have them banned. Instead, people should focus more on eating healthy food and developing fitness related habits to reduce obesity rather than stopping advertisements to control it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both positions and state your own view: you reject banning advertisements and argue that individuals should take responsibility for their choices. The KFC example supports the point that an advert presents food but does not compel anyone to eat it. However, the first view is not fully explored: you mention that adverts are tempting, but do not explain how repeated exposure or advertising to children might contribute to obesity. Your opening also introduces a comparison of healthy-food and junk-food advertising, but this idea is not developed consistently in the body. To strengthen the response, explain the strongest argument on each side and make your final position follow clearly from that discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a conclusion. This makes the main line of argument reasonably easy to follow. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes repetitive: the ideas that adverts tempt people and that people should control their urges recur without adding much new support. The opening sentence of the second body paragraph, “For people, who believe…,” is an awkward transition, and “Whereas” is used as a sentence fragment in the introduction. Use clearer topic sentences to signal each side, then develop each with a distinct reason and example. More precise referencing would also help readers follow which view “them” refers to.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “responsible,” “prohibited,” “tempting,” “rationality,” and “fitness-related habits.” These choices allow you to express the central ideas, and the meaning is generally clear. There are, however, some inaccurate or unnatural choices, such as “hard to control their urge,” “fall to temptation,” and “fitness related habits.” The spelling “temtping” also detracts from accuracy. Aim for more natural collocations and vary repeated terms such as “problem,” “advertisements,” and “people.” For example, you could use “struggle to resist cravings,” “succumb to temptation,” and “physical activity” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex structures, including a conditional sentence (“If healthy food and junk food were advertised…”) and clauses explaining reasons. Most of the argument remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. For example, “Whereas, some people…” is not a complete sentence, and “If healthy food and junk food very advertised” is missing the verb “were.” There are also issues with agreement and articles in “advertisement is the cause” and “So majority of the time.” Review sentence boundaries, passive verb forms, and singular/plural agreement. More consistently accurate complex sentences would help you express the relationships between advertising, choice, and obesity with greater control.

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