Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-31
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 business market is moving from the old way of communication to the modern way of marketing in the current era. Now, most individuals have access to the internet and mobile and find it easy to approach social media to take and share information. Some individuals believe that advertising gives better results than it encourages us to buy items. Another point of view is that advertising is so usual that people do not show keen interest in it. I discuss both views, and then I shall put in my opinion.
According to one group, advertising plays a pivotal role in convincing customers to buy products, as ads give information about the product but also tell the benefit of a particular item to viewers. Additionally, the marketing does not stay on door-to-door campaigns because now most persons have access to the internet and modern ways of communication, and the ad on any platform, like on TV during any program or match, has a positive impact. Moreover, as in the case of YouTube, there is an ad of about 5-10 seconds when a viewer plays any video by a common version. By this ad, customers need to focus on the ad because YouTube runs ads according to the age and profession of the customer.
On the other hand, advertising is not as impactful, as it is very common and customers do not focus on ads. Some people focus on the programs or dramas in which they are interested rather than ads, which disturb the attention of the viewers. As in the case of the Tapmad app, customers mostly buy the ad-free subscription so that they do not want to disturb themselves during any show or match, which they want to watch in an easy way. By this, they bypass the ads and pay attention to the required program.
In conclusion, from my perspective, ads are successful in convincing people to buy the products as without ads there is no marketing in current era even though it disturb the viewers during programs.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion in the conclusion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the first body paragraph explains why advertising is effective, the second paragraph focuses heavily on the user experience of avoiding ads rather than fully exploring the psychological aspect of why people might ignore them. The conclusion is quite brief and could have been better integrated with the main body arguments. To reach a higher band, ensure that each viewpoint is explored with equal depth and that the conclusion synthesizes the arguments more effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' are used to link sentences and paragraphs. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive (e.g., the frequent use of 'As in the case of'). The paragraphing is appropriate, but the flow between the introduction and the body could be smoother to improve the overall coherence of the argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'marketing', 'campaigns', and 'subscription'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'find it easy to approach social media' or 'common version' (likely referring to a free/ad-supported version). More precise collocations and a wider variety of academic vocabulary would enhance the sophistication of the writing.
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 recurring grammatical errors, such as 'the ad on any platform... has a positive impact' (missing articles or pluralization issues) and 'as it is very common and customers do not focus on ads' (slightly awkward phrasing). There are also minor punctuation and tense inconsistencies. The control of grammar is sufficient for communication, but more error-free complex sentences are needed to move into the higher band range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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