Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-26

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)

The influence of advertising in today's consumerist society is a subject of constant debate. While some argue that marketing strategies remain highly effective at driving consumer behavior, others believe that the sheer volume of advertisements has made people indifferent to them. In my opinion, while consumers have developed a degree of immunity to traditional ads, modern targeted advertising continues to be exceptionally successful at persuading us to make purchases.On the one hand, there is a valid argument that the public has become desensitized to marketing due to ad saturation. Individuals are bombarded with hundreds of commercial messages daily, ranging from television commercials and billboards to pop-ups on smartphones. This overwhelming exposure has led to a phenomenon known as "ad blindness," where the human brain naturally filters out irrelevant information. For instance, many internet users automatically close pop-ups or install ad-blockers, while television viewers routinely skip commercials. Consequently, conventional, mass-media advertising has lost much of its historical potency because people no longer consciously engage with it.On the one hand, advertising techniques have evolved to become more sophisticated and persuasive than ever. Modern marketing rarely relies on generic broadcasting; instead, it utilizes data analytics and algorithms to track user behavior, search histories, and preferences. This allows corporations to deploy highly personalized digital ads that target consumers at the exact moment they are most likely to buy. For example, a person searching for a pair of running shoes will immediately see tailored discounts for sportswear on their social media feeds. This psychological precision makes modern advertising incredibly effective, often creating an artificial need for products that consumers did not previously intend to buy.In conclusion, although the ubiquity of traditional marketing has caused a decline in general public attention, I believe that advertising remains remarkably powerful. By shifting toward data-driven, personalized digital strategies, advertisers can bypass our natural defenses and successfully manipulate our purchasing decisions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both views on advertising—its persuasiveness versus widespread indifference—and provides a clear, well-developed personal opinion throughout the essay. The introduction establishes a strong stance, which is maintained in the body paragraphs. The first body paragraph effectively outlines the arguments for advertising fatigue and 'ad blindness,' supported by clear examples such as ad-blockers and pop-ups. The second body paragraph counters this with a strong discussion of modern targeted advertising and data analytics. Ideas are well-extended and supported without any noticeable omissions. Therefore, this performance meets the criteria for a high band score.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

Ideas are logically sequenced, and there is a clear progression throughout the essay. The response begins with a coherent introduction, transitions smoothly into opposing viewpoints, and concludes with a well-summarized final stance. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each main idea housed in its own well-defined paragraph. Cohesive devices such as 'While,' 'For instance,' 'Consequently,' and 'In conclusion' are managed well to guide the reader. However, there is a minor structural error at the beginning of the second body paragraph where the writer accidentally reused the transition 'On the one hand' instead of 'On the other hand,' which slightly affects cohesion. Overall, the logical organization remains clear and effective.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.5

The student demonstrates a wide, fluent, and flexible range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic discussion on consumerism and marketing. Less common lexical items are used effectively, including 'consumerist society,' 'desensitized,' 'ad saturation,' 'potency,' 'ubiquity,' and 'data-driven.' Word choice is generally precise, allowing the writer to convey complex ideas naturally. While there is a slight mechanical repetition in the transitional phrases ('On the one hand' used twice), the lexical resource as a whole is sophisticated and demonstrates good control over style and collocation, justifying a strong score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

The essay displays a wide range of complex grammatical structures used with a high degree of accuracy. The writer successfully employs conditional clauses, relative clauses, and participial phrases (e.g., 'This overwhelming exposure has led to a phenomenon known as "ad blindness," where the human brain naturally filters out irrelevant information'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is handled well throughout. Grammatical errors are extremely rare, and those that occur are minor and do not impede communication in any way. Control over complex sentence forms is strong and consistent.

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