Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-12

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 5.5)

It is often argued by some people that advertisements play an important role to influence someone to buy products. Meanwhile, others argue that nowadays ads are very ubiquitous so people often ignore them. However, I believe that brands should made commercials to boost their sales. This essay will discuss both views and give my opinion.

On the one hand, the advocates of advertisements are very useful for branding believe that it would be productive for extra sales. As attractive and fascinating ads make aware people about their products and encourage them to become potential customers. Take an example of Amazon, an online retailing giant in North America boost their sales every year after running ads on different platforms. Thus, it seems like a positive development in this regard.

While on the other hand, the supporters of commercials are prevalent to ignore believe that they would be boring to watch as well. As people see ads everywhere, especially on social media, television, websites and many other platforms, so they repeatedly exposed to them. For instance Emma Watson, a leading Hollywood star, once stated that nowadays advertisements are so longer and boring to watch because of repeating content. Hence, longer ads play a significant role in tiring people.

However, I believe that commercials are mandatory for huge success. As after watching colorful advertisements with attractive background music, people always convince to purchase them.

To sum up, I believe that ads are useful in promoting products and also play a significant role to grab customers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses both views and provides a personal opinion, meeting the basic requirements of the prompt. However, the development of ideas is limited. The arguments are somewhat repetitive and lack depth; for instance, the explanation of why ads are 'boring' is underdeveloped, and the personal opinion is stated rather than fully supported with logical reasoning. The response stays on topic, but the analysis of the two perspectives remains superficial, which prevents it from reaching a higher band. To improve, you should expand on your points with more detailed explanations and specific examples that directly relate to the prompt's core tension between persuasion and consumer indifference.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'While on the other hand' are used incorrectly, and the transition between sentences is sometimes abrupt. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the second paragraph where the subject of the sentence becomes muddled. While the overall progression is logical, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the occasional misuse of cohesive devices limit the flow of the argument. Improving the variety and precision of your transition signals will significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward word choices and collocations, such as 'make aware people' instead of 'make people aware' and 'supporters of commercials are prevalent to ignore'. These errors occasionally impede the clarity of your message. While you attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'ubiquitous' and 'retailing giant', the overall control is inconsistent. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and ensuring that words are used in their correct grammatical context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the accuracy of the text. Examples include 'brands should made commercials' (incorrect verb form), 'people always convince to purchase' (passive voice error), and 'ads are so longer and boring' (incorrect comparative structure). These errors are noticeable and occur throughout the essay. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these slips prevents the writing from being considered error-free. You should focus on mastering basic verb tenses and ensuring subject-verb agreement to improve your accuracy.

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

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