Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-26

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)

Advertisements play a vital role in society. Some people argue that advertising is very successful at influencing us to purchase items, while others believe that advertisements are very common, so no one pays more attention to them. This essay will discuss both views before expressing my opinion.

On the one hand, advertisements are very successful at influencing consumers to purchase products. First and foremost, the reason is that advertisements provide useful information about products, such as sales, special offers and discounts. This can encourage customers to buy items that they may not have considered purchasing previously. Moreover, the advertisements often present the features and benefits of the products in an attractive and appealing way, so they directly influence consumers' purchasing decisions. For instance, advertisements for electronic devices often highlight their latest features, attractive designs and limited-time discounts, encouraging customers to make a purchase. Therefore, advertisements can greatly influence people to purchase things.

On the other hand, some people no longer pay attention to them because they are exposed very frequently. Sometimes, advertisements use similar concepts, slogans and promotional techniques, which makes them repetitive, and people usually ignore them. In addition, these advertisements are often exposed very frequently on social media websites and broadcasting channels such as television. For example, a person can see the same advertisement on Instagram, TV channels, and even at movie theatres, which makes the person ignore the advertisement. Hence, excessive exposure and similar concepts make people pay less attention to them.

In conclusion, although some advertisements are boring to see as they have similar ideas and extreme exposure, I strongly believe that advertisements are highly successful at persuading customers to purchase things because they provide useful information and it displays the features and facilities attractively.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.5
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant and supported with examples, such as the mention of social media and television advertising. However, the development of the arguments is somewhat predictable and could benefit from more depth or nuanced analysis to reach a higher band. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main points while reinforcing the writer's stance. To improve, ensure that the supporting examples are more analytical rather than just descriptive.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'First and foremost', 'Moreover', 'On the one hand', and 'In addition' are used effectively to link ideas. However, the transition between some sentences feels slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the overall structure supports the development of the argument well. To achieve a higher score, the writer should focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that referencing is more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication of ideas. The writer uses some topic-specific vocabulary such as 'promotional techniques', 'purchasing decisions', and 'excessive exposure'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a reliance on simpler terms like 'very successful' or 'very common'. There are no significant spelling errors, but the use of less common lexical items is infrequent. To improve, the student should aim to incorporate more precise academic collocations and synonyms to avoid repetition and demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are grammatically accurate, and errors are rare and do not impede communication. For example, the use of conditional-like structures and relative clauses is generally correct. However, the range of complex structures is somewhat limited, and the writing could benefit from more varied sentence beginnings and more sophisticated grammatical forms, such as passive voice or inversion, to enhance the flow. Punctuation is generally accurate throughout the text. The current level of control is solid, but more variety would elevate the score.

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