Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-30

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)

Advertisement has always been a crucial part in the world of marketing. Throughout the decade, we have seen a significant increase in the amount of advertisements, whether it is on the media like television or widespread through social network platforms. The goal of advertisements is to get consumers to buy a targeted product, and while this method has been proven considerably successful generally, some people view it as too prevalent to catch the consumers' attention any more.

Advertisements can act as a strong persuasion device to seemingly hypnotize people into buying goods and services. This is so because of the tactics placed in the messages, such as showing people having a good time together when using a particular product, using bandwagen, showing only the upsides of usage, and applying compare and contrast strategies to show the effects of using the product and make it stand out. Even if people do not know it, these messages are repeated several times and soon it may brainwash people to Finally go out and get the product. For instance, if a person is watching television and sees a certain advertisement of a snack many times, the repeated sight of the scrumptious food may result in that person feeling hungry and succumbing to the advertisement at last.

Nevertheless, there is another point of view in which the widespread of advertisements makes it a normal thing. After watching a dozen of advertisements people will see it as a mere every day routine and cease to pay attention to the message of the advertisement. Some people may even choose to turn off a television channel, for instance, only just to avoid seeing and hearing repetetive advertisements. After a certain frequency, they start to get bored and stop paying attention to ads. Hence, in the end, the main goal of advertisements is not complete since the people whom the messages are sent out to do not receive that message. A real life example can be seen from advertisements in a particular social media platform, Youtube. In the Youtube marketing mechanism, advertisements are place before and in between videos, hoping that the viewers would also be forced to watch the advertisements, too. However, this is not usually the case, since many people would just click "Skip Ad" and continue on.

In conclusion, advertisements can be successful in persuading people to purchase goods and services, or they can be unsuccessful in many ways. They are very commonly seen nowadays, but not all of them fuffill their purpose. Thus, advertisements must be designed and presented in the correct way to result in the highest effectiveness.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the analysis of psychological tactics in advertising and the counter-argument regarding consumer desensitization. The essay maintains a consistent position throughout. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more nuanced examples or a deeper exploration of the 'persuasion' aspect, perhaps by discussing the ethical implications or the evolution of digital advertising beyond just 'skipping ads'. Overall, the task is fully addressed with relevant and extended ideas.

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 theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'Nevertheless', 'Hence', and 'For instance' are used effectively to link sentences and ideas. However, there are minor issues with referencing and flow; for example, the transition between the general concept of advertising and the specific example of YouTube could be smoother. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the overall structure supports the development of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'crucial part in the world of marketing', 'persuasion device', and 'consumer desensitization' (implied) show a good grasp of the topic. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'widespread of advertisements' (should be 'widespread nature' or 'prevalence') and 'fuffill' (spelling error). The use of 'brainwash' is slightly informal but fits the context. The range is adequate for the task, though more sophisticated collocations would elevate the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over complex sentences, such as 'Even if people do not know it, these messages are repeated several times and soon it may brainwash people to Finally go out and get the product.' However, there are occasional errors in grammar and punctuation, such as the unnecessary capitalization of 'Finally', the pluralization of 'advertisements' where a singular noun might be more natural, and some awkward phrasing like 'the widespread of advertisements'. These errors do not impede communication, but they prevent the essay from reaching a higher band.

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