Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-18

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 7.5)

Advertising has become an integral part of modern life, appearing on television, social media, websites and even public transport. While some people argue that advertisements are highly effective in influencing consumers' purchasing decisions, others believe that their sheer prevalence has made people largely indifferent to them. This essay will discuss both perspectives before explaining why I believe advertising remains influential, although its effectiveness varies.

On the one hand, advertising can be extremely successful in persuading people to purchase products and services. Companies invest heavily in advertisements because carefully designed campaigns can appeal to consumers' emotions, create a sense of desire and establish a positive image of a brand. For example, advertisements featuring celebrities or attractive lifestyles may encourage people to associate a particular product with success or happiness. In addition, personalised advertising on social media platforms can target users according to their interests and online behaviour, making promotional messages more relevant and potentially more persuasive. Consequently, advertising can play a significant role in shaping consumers' preferences, particularly when they are considering unfamiliar products.

On the other hand, the enormous amount of advertising that people encounter every day may reduce its overall impact. Consumers are exposed to advertisements through multiple channels, including mobile applications, websites, emails, billboards and television, and this constant exposure can lead to what is sometimes described as advertising fatigue. As a result, people may automatically ignore banners, skip online commercials or simply stop noticing advertisements in their surroundings. Furthermore, consumers have become more sceptical of marketing techniques and may recognise when companies exaggerate the benefits of their products. This increased awareness can make traditional forms of advertising considerably less effective than they were in the past.

In my opinion, although people have become more accustomed to advertising and often ignore conventional promotional messages, it would be incorrect to assume that advertising has lost its persuasive power. Modern advertising has evolved rather than disappeared, with businesses increasingly using personalised content, influencers and engaging social-media campaigns to capture consumers' attention. Therefore, while excessive exposure can diminish the effect of individual advertisements, well-targeted and creatively produced advertising can still have a substantial influence on purchasing decisions.

In conclusion, advertising can successfully persuade consumers by appealing to their emotions and targeting their interests, whereas its widespread presence can cause people to become less attentive to it. I believe that advertising remains effective, but its success increasingly depends on how relevant, engaging and strategically targeted it is.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task, examining both views—that advertising is extremely successful at persuading buyers and that it is too common to be noticed—while presenting a clear, well-developed personal opinion throughout the essay. In the second and third paragraphs, the writer provides relevant examples and well-extended ideas regarding emotional appeals, celebrity endorsements, and 'advertising fatigue'. The position is maintained logically and consistently from the introduction through the conclusion, meeting all criteria for a Band 8 performance in Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

Ideas are logically sequenced and progress naturally throughout the response. Each paragraph has a clear central topic, starting with a well-formulated introduction, followed by balanced body paragraphs addressing both sides ('On the one hand', 'On the other hand'), a clear personal view, and a concise conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Consequently', 'Furthermore', and 'Therefore' are used effectively without being intrusive. Paragraphing is handled appropriately and contributes to the overall clarity and readability of the essay, fully satisfying the requirements for Band 8.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The student demonstrates a wide and flexible range of vocabulary suitable for an academic context, using terms such as 'integral part', 'sheer prevalence', 'advertising fatigue', and 'conventional promotional messages'. There is good control over less common lexical items and collocations, with only occasional minor slips. Word choice is precise throughout the essay, enabling the writer to convey subtle arguments about consumer behavior and marketing techniques effectively, aligning strongly with the Band 7.5 to 8.0 criteria.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a wide range of complex structures used accurately and flexibly. The majority of sentences are error-free, and complex multi-clause sentences—such as 'While some people argue that advertisements are highly effective... others believe that their sheer prevalence...'—are handled with strong grammatical control. Punctuation is accurate, and minor errors are virtually non-existent. This level of syntactic variety and accuracy easily secures a Band 8 rating.

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