Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-09

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)

It is often argued that advertising persuades customers to purchase products, while some believe that it no longer engaging to people these days. In my opinion the former notion is true, and this essay will discuss both views.

Some people, including me, believe that advertisements are successful in making individuals buy their things. This is because, many people get to know about different objects and other things through online adverts they see. For example, when we try to watch a video on YouTube, then we usually see advertisements before or in between videos. Another significant reason is that people trust those brands quicker and easily which advertise their products frequently. This frequency rises a company's popularity which eventually brings multiple customers to purchase their products. Therefore, brands can persuade people to buy their products by advertising.

On the other hand, other people believe that people do not ignore advertisements because they find them common. One major reason is that nowadays advertisements in form of poster, banners, pamphlets and many others are at almost every place, and people have built a habit of ignoring them as they are so common. For instance, while walking down a street we can see multiple posters sticked on walls, but we barely pay attention to it. Another important reason for people believing this is because many people do not trust brands with advertisements that are over-promising. This is because many other people who bought it may claim it to be not up to the mark.

In conclusion, I agree with those who believe that advertisements somehow indirectly force citizens to purchase things as advertisements are often seen by us. However, others find advertisements not appealing to be paid attention to because it is common to see them and sometime, they do not trust brands that over-promise.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the role of frequency in brand trust and the habituation effect of physical advertisements. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the explanation of why people ignore ads could be expanded with more nuanced analysis rather than just listing examples like posters. The conclusion is slightly repetitive, restating the prompt rather than synthesizing the arguments effectively. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully explored with deeper reasoning and clearer links to the prompt's core question about persuasion versus indifference.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the other hand', 'For instance', and 'Therefore', which help guide the reader through the argument. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise (e.g., 'many other people who bought it' is vague). The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and better pronoun referencing to avoid repetition. Overall, the structure is functional and supports the development of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'notion' and 'up to the mark', which are used correctly. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simpler terms like 'things' and 'objects'. Some collocations are slightly unnatural, such as 'sticked on walls' (should be 'stuck') and 'no longer engaging to people' (should be 'no longer engaging to people' or 'no longer engages people'). Expanding the range of academic vocabulary would help elevate the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. Examples include 'it no longer engaging' (missing auxiliary verb), 'sticked' (incorrect past participle), and 'sometime' (should be 'sometimes'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are minor issues with comma usage. To improve, the writer should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct formation of passive voice structures. The errors do not impede communication, but they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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