Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-29

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 5.0)

Nowadays, advertising is everywhere, from television and social media to websites and public places. Some people believe that advertisements are very successful in persuading people to buy products, while others argue that people see advertisements so often that they no longer pay attention to them.On the one hand, advertising can be very effective in influencing people's decisions

In my opinion, although people ignore many advertisements, advertising is still successful when it is well-designed and relevant to the consumer. In particular, advertisements that match people's interests are more likely to attract their attention and influence their purchasing decisions

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response is severely under-length, containing only 97 words compared to the required minimum of 250 words. As a result, the task is only addressed partially. While the student introduces the topic and attempts to outline both views and a personal opinion (e.g., 'Some people believe that advertisements are very successful... In my opinion, although people ignore many advertisements...'), the ideas are heavily underdeveloped and incomplete, abruptly stopping mid-sentence ('advertising can be very effective in influencing people's decisions'). Due to the failure to meet the minimum word count and the incomplete development of the arguments, this criterion cannot exceed a band 4.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text demonstrates some basic logical organisation through the use of standard introductory phrases and discourse markers such as 'Nowadays,' 'On the one hand,' and 'In my opinion, although...'. Paragraphing is partially attempted, though the abrupt ending of the text hinders a fully coherent overall structure. Because the response is so short, it is difficult to judge full paragraphing and cohesive progression, but the sentences that are present do follow a logical sequence. Based on the limited language produced, a band 5.0 is appropriate as it shows some organization despite the lack of full progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully utilizing topic-specific terminology such as 'advertising,' 'social media,' 'consumer,' and 'purchasing decisions.' Although the range is limited due to the brevity of the response, the words used are accurate and appropriate for the context (e.g., 'well-designed and relevant'). There are no spelling errors in the provided text. Because the lexical range is minimally adequate and communication is clear within the short snippet, it aligns with a band 6.0 for this specific criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over grammar. For instance, the concessive clause 'In my opinion, although people ignore many advertisements, advertising is still successful...' is grammatically sound and well-structured. Punctuation is generally accurate, though there is a missing period at the end of the second paragraph. The grammar within the produced sentences does not impede communication. However, due to the very limited range of structures resulting from the short text, a band 5.5 is a fair reflection of the grammatical control shown.

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