Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-29

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)

It is believed by many people that advertisement exceptionally successful in convincing us to buy products whereas other people believe that rise in advertising has had negative impact in gathering our attention. I believe that advertisement effectively lead us to impulse buying because of targeted algorithms and social appeal.

Advertising industry has gotten huge with time because professionals now indulge themselves in human psychology to understand consumer behavior. Consequently, ads on social media are targeted to specific groups with similar interests to increase the sale. In addition to that, targeted algorithms made it possible to show ads to users based on their searches, likes, dislikes and many more. Advertisement take advantage of celebrities and influencers to gain trust of consumers because they associate the value of brand with that person. A celebrity with good skin endorsing a skin care brand can increase the sales.

On the other hand, it is believed we are now insensitive to advertisement because of ads being everywhere. We use phones, laptops, tablets and they all have tablets in addition to going out and seeing billboards, flyers, posters which our brain automatically tunes out. Users of social media apps have become so used to ads that they skip digital ads without thinking once. Furthermore, consumers now install ad blockers to stop seeing ads on their devices. Consumers are now aware of how psychology is used to trick human brain into buying a product. Even though, we are aware yet we are often influenced by ads without noticing because of it appearing again and again so the chances of ignoring an advertisement is less.

In my opinion, I believe that advertisement still highly convinces people into buying products based on celebrities that they like, brands that are heavily advertised and because of psychology tactics that are used.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal position. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, particularly the discussion on targeted algorithms and the psychological impact of advertising. However, the development is slightly uneven; the second body paragraph introduces the counter-argument but then pivots back to supporting the first view, which creates some confusion regarding the structure of the argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph focuses strictly on the specific view being discussed before presenting your own synthesis in the conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'consequently,' 'in addition to that,' and 'on the other hand' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two opposing views. The progression of ideas is generally clear, though the final paragraph could be more effectively integrated to summarize the main points rather than just restating the opinion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to express ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'targeted algorithms,' 'consumer behavior,' and 'impulse buying.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'advertisement exceptionally successful' (missing 'is') and 'they all have tablets' (when referring to devices in general). The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but more precise and varied vocabulary would be needed for a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('the advertising industry'), subject-verb agreement issues ('advertisement take advantage'), and awkward phrasing ('the chances of ignoring an advertisement is less'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some minor errors in sentence construction. The errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher band score.

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