Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-07
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)
It is argued by some people that advertisement plays a significant role in tempting people to purchase different products. Others believe that it has become very common nowadays that only few people pay any attention to it. As far as I am concerned, there is a big role of ads in buying many products.
Firstly, advertisements make us aware of the new coming products. It is helpful for those individuals who have less facilities for going to malls and market. With the aid of ads, these people are able to see the qualities of product. As a result, the urge to buy that product arouses in them.
Secondly, ads make the mind of humans to buy that things which they do not need. For example, in Pakistan many ads are common like shampoo, soap, moisturizer etc. When a person watches an ad of a shampoo which is showing long, shiny hair of an actress , he is inclined to buy one because he thinks that there might be reality to some extent.
On the other hand, advertisement also has become common in today$s life. Many ads are seen when someone is watching videos on You tube and also in many different online games. Consequently, people ignore them because they are interrupting them during watching the series. In this way, they do not pay any significant attention to these ads. However, these ads can take attention of some people to some extent, if not fully.
To conclude, although ads are seen everywhere when a person is using mobile phone but they have the capacity to encourage people to buy the products which are shown in advertisement.
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 sides of the argument and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding the 'urge to buy' is mentioned but not deeply explored with strong supporting evidence. The second body paragraph relies on a very specific example (shampoo in Pakistan) which, while relevant, could be broadened to show a more sophisticated understanding of consumer psychology. The conclusion is brief and does not fully synthesize the points made. To reach a higher band, you should aim to expand on the 'why' and 'how' behind your arguments, ensuring each point is fully supported with logical reasoning.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'On the other hand', and 'To conclude' to signal transitions. However, the flow between sentences within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the idea of online ads and the conclusion is abrupt. Referencing is generally clear, but the use of cohesive devices could be more varied and sophisticated to improve the overall flow. Ensure that each sentence builds naturally upon the previous one to create a more cohesive argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. You rely on common phrases like 'big role', 'make the mind of humans', and 'new coming products'. There are some inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'make the mind of humans to buy' and 'have less facilities'. To improve, you should focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology related to marketing and consumer behavior. Expanding your range to include less common lexical items would significantly enhance the quality of your 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 several grammatical errors, such as 'there is a big role of ads in buying', 'that things which they do not need', and 'take attention of some people'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are minor issues with article usage and preposition choice. The sentence structures are functional but lack the complexity and variety that would demonstrate a higher level of control. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and more accurate prepositional usage will help improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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