Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-10
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 6.0)
Opinions differ on whether advertising successfully influences consumers or if people have become entirely indifferent to it. In my opinion, while general advertisements are often ignored today, targeted advertising remains highly effective at persuading people to buy products.
On the other hand, many people argue that the massive volume of daily advertising has reduced its overall impact. Consumers are constantly bombarded with promotional materials or television, street billboard, and smartphones. This continuous overexposure leads to a phenomenon where people automatically ignore marketing banners or 'skip' button on YouTube ads without paying any attention to the item. Therefore, traditional advertising has lost much of its power because it has become too common and annoying to the general public.
On the other hand, advertising remains successful when companies use modern technology and psychological triggers. Advertisement do not just show a product, they cleverly connect it with social status, happiness or success. Furthermore, business now use digital tracking to show personalized ads based on a person's recent search history. For example, if you look for a new pair of shoes online, ads for that exact brand will immediately appears on your social media feeds. Thid smart method makes people make impulse purchases very easily.
In conclusion, although general commercials are frequently ignored due to their high frequency, modern advertising is far from useless. When companies use data to target specific interests and appeal to consumer emotions, advertising remains an incredibly powerful tool that successfully dictates what people buy
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The essay addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the response is 245 words, which is below the 250-word minimum requirement. This under-length impacts the development of ideas, as the arguments could have been more thoroughly explored to reach the word count. While the position is consistent, the failure to meet the minimum length constraint is a significant negative factor in Task Achievement. To improve, ensure that each body paragraph includes a more detailed example or a deeper analysis of the implications of the arguments presented.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two opposing views. Cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, there is a slight error in the transition between the first and second body paragraph, as both start with 'On the other hand', which is repetitive and confusing. Using a different transition like 'Conversely' or 'In contrast' for the first body paragraph would improve the flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task, with some good collocations such as 'targeted advertising', 'impulse purchases', and 'psychological triggers'. There are some minor errors, such as 'business now use' (should be 'businesses') and 'appears' (should be 'appear'). The range is sufficient to convey ideas clearly, but it lacks the sophistication or precision required for a higher band. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'advertising' and 'persuading' to avoid repetition and demonstrate a wider lexical range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that, while not impeding communication, are noticeable. For example, 'Advertisement do not' (should be 'Advertisements do not'), 'promotional materials or television' (should be 'promotional materials on television'), and 'Thid smart method' (typo). Additionally, the sentence 'Consumers are constantly bombarded with promotional materials or television, street billboard, and smartphones' is structurally awkward. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would help raise the score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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