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 | 5.5 |
| 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 you provide examples like YouTube and the Tapmad app, the explanation of why advertising is 'successful' remains a bit superficial. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are fully extended; for instance, you could explain the psychological mechanisms behind why ads persuade us, rather than just stating that they provide information. The position is consistent, but the conclusion is quite brief and could have been used to better synthesize the two viewpoints presented in the body paragraphs.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' to signal transitions. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the use of referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'By this ad, customers need to focus...'. The progression of ideas is generally logical, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns and references clearly point back to the intended subjects.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'pivotal role', 'campaigns', and 'subscription'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations, such as 'most persons' instead of 'most people' or 'common version' when referring to a free tier of an app. The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. To improve, focus on learning more precise collocations and academic synonyms for common verbs and adjectives to enhance the overall tone of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'the ad on any platform... has a positive impact' (which is a bit clunky) and 'as it is very common and customers do not focus on ads' (which lacks a clear subject-verb agreement or logical flow). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are minor errors in article usage and prepositional phrases. The errors present do not impede communication, but they do limit the overall fluency and accuracy of the writing.
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