Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-01

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)

Advertising plays a huge role in our lives today, but people disagree on how effective it really is. Some people think advertisements are very successful at convincing us to buy products, while others believe we see many ads that we just ignore them. In my opinion, modern advertising is still powerful because it targets our feelings and habits without us realizing it.

On the one hand, many people feel that advertising has lost its power because it is everywhere. Every day, we are surrounded by tv commercials , social media ads people get tired of them. As a result, many people skip video ads use ad-blockers, or simple stop paying attention .They have learned to ignore traditional sales messages because they see them all the time.

On the other hand advertising are much smarter over time . Instead of just telling us to buy something, companies now use social media influencers and smart recommendations based on what we like. for instance, when we see our favorite ads seeing a brand repeatedly buildings familiar trust, which make us buy it later. Even cautions shoppers end up making impulse purchases, proving that modern techniques successfully break through our daily indifferences and quietly guide our spending choices.

In conclusion although people often try to ignore the constant stream of advertisements, I believe advertising is still extremely effective. By using personal and clever strategies, marketers continue to influence our shopping decisions successfully. shaping what we buy and shaping market trends across the world today.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of ad-blockers and influencer marketing. However, the development is somewhat limited; for example, the argument regarding 'familiar trust' is a strong point but could have been expanded with a more concrete example of how this specifically influences consumer psychology. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main argument. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is fully explored with more depth and specific detail.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the abrupt start to the second paragraph ('social media ads people get tired of them') and the run-on structure in the final sentence of the second paragraph. Referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect ideas more fluidly rather than relying on simple sentence structures.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'impulse purchases' and 'indifferences' (though 'indifference' would be the correct noun form). Some word choices are slightly imprecise, such as 'buildings familiar trust' instead of 'builds familiarity and trust'. The range is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, but there is a lack of sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions that would elevate the writing to a higher band. Focusing on precise word forms and natural collocations will improve this 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 several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'advertising are much smarter' (subject-verb agreement), 'simple stop paying attention' (adverb needed), and 'when we see our favorite ads seeing a brand' (awkward clause structure). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with missing commas and incorrect spacing before periods. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they occur frequently enough to limit the score. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences is recommended.

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