Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-04

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 6.5)

In contemporary society, the role of advertising has sparked intense debate. While some proponents argue that advertising is highly influential in stimulating consumer behavior, others contend that it has become so ubiquitous that it no longer captures our attention. In this essay, I will scrutinize both perspectives and present my standpoint on the matter.

Adherents of the view that advertising is indispensable in driving consumer purchases cite several compelling reasons. Primarily, they argue that advertisements serve an educational purpose by elucidating the features and benefits of products. For instance, food advertisements often provide valuable information about the nutritional content and cooking instructions, thereby enhancing consumers’ understanding of the products. Additionally, advertising introduces consumers to novel products that may be unfamiliar to them. For example, the promotional campaigns for foreign products like Horlicks facilitate consumers’ awareness and understanding of these products, thus broadening their choices in the marketplace.

In contrast, detractors of advertising contend that it has become pervasive to the extent that it is perceived as a frivolous expenditure. In today’s world, people are increasingly adept at tuning out advertisements, often finding them intrusive and disruptive, particularly during crucial moments. Consequently, there is a prevailing sentiment that advertising is manipulative and undermines consumers’ trust in the advertised products, leading to a negative impact on brand perception.

In conclusion, it is evident that the issue of advertising is multi-faceted. While it undoubtedly has some adverse effects, such as contributing to a sense of intrusion and manipulation, the educational and informational roles of advertising cannot be discounted. Thus, despite its drawbacks, I am inclined to support advertising due to its capacity to inform and educate consumers about products and services.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The essay addresses both views and provides a clear personal position. The arguments are relevant and well-supported with examples like food nutritional content and the brand Horlicks. However, the development of the second view—that advertising is ignored—is slightly less detailed than the first. While the prompt asks to discuss both, the essay could have been improved by exploring why people 'tune out' advertising in more depth, perhaps by discussing the psychological phenomenon of 'banner blindness' or the sheer volume of digital noise. Nevertheless, the response is well-structured and fulfills all requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a clear logical progression. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, and the transition between the two opposing views is handled smoothly using cohesive devices such as 'In contrast' and 'While it undoubtedly has some adverse effects'. The use of referencing is precise, and the paragraphing is logical, moving from the introduction to the two body paragraphs and a balanced conclusion. The flow of ideas is natural, and the cohesive devices are used flexibly without being mechanical, which is characteristic of a high-level response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sophisticated and precise, showing a good command of academic register. Phrases such as 'contemporary society', 'elucidating the features', 'frivolous expenditure', and 'multi-faceted' demonstrate a wide range of lexical items. The writer uses collocations effectively, such as 'stimulating consumer behavior' and 'undermines consumers’ trust'. There are no significant errors in word choice or spelling, and the language is used with a high degree of naturalness, which is appropriate for an academic task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay displays a wide range of complex structures, including conditional-like constructions and subordinate clauses. The grammar is highly accurate, with the majority of sentences being error-free. Punctuation is used correctly to manage complex sentence structures. There is a consistent control over verb tenses and subject-verb agreement. The writing is fluent and demonstrates a high level of grammatical maturity, with no recurring errors that would impede the reader's understanding or distract from the argument.

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