Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-19

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)

The extent to which advertising influences society is an increasingly debated issue . While some believes that advertisement plays a major role in influencing individuals to buy items, other content that means of advertising has become so common that nobody gives attention to it anymore. This essay will discuss both perspective. However, I am firmly of the opinion that advertising has played a successful role for influencing people to buy items.

Those who advocate that advertising has been successful for influencing individuals to buy things argue that today advertising can be displayed on multiple platforms and in multiple ways, they content that today people use a lot of creative ideas to promote items. Admittedly, there are some merit to this perspective. For instance, today, young people get easily attracted by celebrities or sports person. So companies with big budget hires, those famous faces to promote that items in their social media handles or they shoot a video. It is therefore evident that advertising has been successful for influencing people to buy items.

Admittedly, those who hold opposite perspective argues that advertisement had became so common that nobody pays attention to it anymore. This is largely due to the fact that today putting advertising on different platform has become too convenient. Moreover, people are paid large amount of money to promote items, a clear example of this can be a content creator, putting advertising in middle of his or his YouTube video, which people usually skips or there are many social media handles, which are just built to promote different items.

In conclusion, while some believe that nobody pays attention to advertising anymore, I believe that advertising plays a vital role influencing people to buy items. This is because no matter how business owners find different ways to advertise and reach customer successfully.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal position. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention celebrity endorsements and YouTube advertisements, the arguments could be extended further with more depth or specific examples of how these methods psychologically impact consumer behavior. The conclusion is slightly underdeveloped and lacks a strong summary of the main points discussed. To reach a higher band, ensure that each body paragraph fully explores the 'why' and 'how' behind the arguments rather than just stating them.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Admittedly,' 'For instance,' and 'Moreover,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical, and there are instances where the flow is slightly disrupted by grammatical errors or awkward phrasing, such as 'This is because no matter how business owners find different ways to advertise.' Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring they are used naturally will enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'advocate,' 'perspectives,' and 'endorsements' (implied). However, there are several word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'content that means of advertising' (should be 'contend that the means of advertising') and 'hires, those famous faces' (unnecessary comma). Some vocabulary is repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'influencing' and 'items.' To improve, focus on using more precise synonyms 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 occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('some believes,' 'opposite perspective argues'), incorrect verb tenses ('had became'), and punctuation errors (unnecessary commas). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. You should focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentence structures are constructed accurately.

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

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