Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-21
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)
Some people believe that advertising is extremely successful at persuading us to buy things. other people say that advertising is so common that we no longer pay attention to it . in this essay, i will discuss both views and also provide my opinion.
On one hand, it is true that advertising has a huge impact on people's purchasing decisions. For example, colorful advertisments on social media often convince young people to buy new clothes, phones or beauty products. Moreover celebrities in ads make products look more trustworthy and desirably . Companies spend millions on ads because they know it directly increase their sales.
On the other hand, few individuals believe that advertising is so common that we no longer pay attention to it. For instant , we skip youtube ads or scroll past sponsered posts on instagram without even looking at them. Furthermore, people are exposed to thousands of ads every day , so they have become ad-blind . As a result, many advertisments fail to grab attentions and waste money.
To conclude, although people have their own opinion about the distinct argumets. I , however , think their should be a balanced opinion and each one of us should give priority to the advertising is extremely successful at persuading us to by things as well as advertising is so common that we no longer pay attention to it.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The essay addresses both views and provides an opinion, but the development is limited due to the response being under the 250-word minimum. The conclusion is particularly weak, as it fails to clearly state your own position, instead suggesting a 'balanced opinion' without explaining what that entails. While the main body paragraphs provide relevant examples like social media ads and YouTube, the lack of depth and the failure to meet the length requirement prevent a higher score. To improve, ensure you fully explore your own viewpoint in the conclusion and expand your arguments with more detailed analysis to meet the word count.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore' to link your points. However, the transition between the final argument and the conclusion is abrupt, and the concluding paragraph is somewhat confusingly phrased. The use of cohesive devices is functional but occasionally mechanical. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that your concluding summary flows naturally from the arguments presented in the body paragraphs.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'purchasing decisions', 'trustworthy', and 'ad-blind'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and form, such as 'desirably' (should be 'desirable') and 'argumets' (spelling error). You also repeat the phrase 'advertising is extremely successful' multiple times, which limits your lexical variety. To improve, try to use synonyms and more precise collocations. Ensure you proofread for spelling errors, as these minor slips occur throughout the text and detract from the overall quality of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent errors in punctuation and grammar. For example, you have inconsistent capitalization (e.g., 'other people', 'in this essay', 'i'), missing articles, and incorrect verb forms like 'it directly increase' (should be 'increases') and 'their should be' (should be 'there'). These errors are noticeable but do not fully impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, consistent capitalization, and the correct use of homophones like 'their' versus 'there'.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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