Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-14
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Some people say that advertising is extremely successful at persuading us to buy things. Other people think that advertising is so common that we no longer pay attention to it. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Student answer (Band 5.0)
Few people think that advertising is extremely successful at persuading us to buy things while, others believe that advertising is so common that people now no longer pay attention to it. I completely agree with this statement because marketing has very important role in convincing people to buy things.
On the one hand, people nowadays are more attracted towards social media and want to try whatever they see there. It is one of the best way for sellers to get to the public because everyone use this platform. For example, interesting picture, logos and, a thoughtful video motivates people to try the products. Also, as a customer it is very hard to trust any products without checking a review and feedback. For me, I always check the review before I order as I don't want any risk after purchasing. In addition to these, there are some sellers who do not refund or exchange the time after buying. As a result, consumers are hesitant to buy products without proper knowledge and feedback.
On the other hand, there are few people who doesn't believe on the things posted in social media. This is because there is increase in number of scams and frauds in the name of business. It has become fashioned that every other people started their business doing advertisement. Furthermore, they do not have any plans, policies and methods for handling the things. So, it is very difficult to trust them. For instance, I bought a dress last week from a online clothing. I checked the review before ordering and had very good rating. But, when I received the parcel, it was totally different from the actual picture.
In conclusion, from my experience as it has some disadvantages, it has its advantages equally which has helped people a lot. People could see and check the things beforehand so that they are safe from frauds and scams.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The response engages with advertising and gives a personal view, but it does not fully address the two contrasting claims in the question. The first body paragraph mainly discusses social-media advertising and the need to check reviews; it does not clearly explain how advertising persuades people to buy. The second focuses on scams and distrust, rather than showing that advertising is so widespread that people have stopped noticing it. Your position is also difficult to identify: “I completely agree with this statement” is unclear because the prompt presents two opposing views, while the conclusion says advertising has advantages and disadvantages equally. To improve, explain each view directly and state which one you find more convincing, supporting that position with relevant examples.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
The essay has a recognisable introduction, two body paragraphs signposted with “On the one hand” and “On the other hand,” and a conclusion. Examples are placed within the relevant paragraphs, which gives the response some organisation. However, the progression is not consistently clear because the body paragraphs do not develop the two views in the prompt, and several ideas are linked without a clear relationship. For instance, the discussion moves from social-media appeal to reviews and refund policies, then to scams. Phrases such as “In addition to these” and “As a result” do not always make the connection between points clear. Build each paragraph around one claim, explain it, and use linking expressions only when they accurately show the relationship.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “persuading,” “consumers,” “feedback,” “scams,” and “frauds,” and the reader can generally understand your meaning. There are also attempts at more specific expressions such as “proper knowledge” and “hesitant to buy.” However, word choice and collocation are often inaccurate or repetitive, which limits precision. Examples include “fashioned” for a trend, “believe on” for trust in, and “a online clothing” for an online clothing shop. “Things” and “products” are repeated where more exact terms would help. Aim to learn common word partnerships and choose vocabulary that expresses the precise point—for example, distinguish between advertising exposure, consumer trust, and purchasing decisions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response attempts both simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “because,” “while,” and “when,” and most of the main ideas remain understandable. However, errors occur frequently in agreement, articles, verb forms, and sentence construction. Examples include “everyone use this platform,” “there are few people who doesn't believe,” and “a online clothing.” The opening sentence also has faulty punctuation around “while,” and “marketing has very important role” is missing an article. These errors sometimes make the reader pause, even though the intended meaning is usually recoverable. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and articles, and revise each sentence for a complete, grammatically connected structure before adding more complex clauses.
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