Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-07
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 4.5)
Nowadays, many companies have similar products in the market. Therefore, to make people buy a specific brand, advertising is a natural choice. Some people argue that advertising does not affect people's choices, while other extreamly oppose this statement. This essay will discuss both aspects of people.
On the one hand, companies advertsing influence us to purchase their products. Advertisements are made attractive and high quality, so we will purchase their products. Many brands prefer to advertise their products through celebrities. Celebrities influence their followers to buy those products. In the meantime, those products are also sold due to their fame. For example, Cristina Ronaldo participates in a variety of programs and promotes products like Coca-Cola drinks, Samsung mobile phones, and Bisleri water. This actually affects their growth. As compared to normal days, more people are found to buy these products because of the influence of a great football player.
On the other hand, advertising does not affect people because it is too common nowadays. Companies battle with their banners and agendas to encourage people to seek their products.
Individuals want something new and different, looking for a traditional way of promotion. For instance, the Red Bull brand promotes its product differently. They prefer adventure and risky stunts for the inflammatory news about their products. New ways of advertising are working, but traditional styles no longer affect people's mentality.
In my view, advertising is extremely successful at persuading us to buy things. However, it is so common that we no longer pay attention to it.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 4.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response addresses both views and gives an opinion, but the discussion is only partially developed. The celebrity example supports the claim that advertising can influence purchases, while the point that advertising is too common is less clearly explained: the paragraph shifts to people wanting something “new and different” without showing precisely why this means they ignore ordinary advertising. The final opinion also repeats both sides rather than resolving the tension between them. The response is 233 words, below the 250-word minimum; the 21 words copied from the task prompt are not counted. Develop each view with clearer explanation and use the conclusion to state how you weigh the two arguments.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5
The essay has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a concluding opinion. “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” help signal the contrast, and the Ronaldo example is placed within the paragraph about persuasive advertising. However, progression within the second body paragraph is less clear: the move from advertising being common to companies using “banners and agendas,” then to traditional promotion and Red Bull’s stunts, does not form a fully connected line of reasoning. Some links, such as “In the meantime” and “This actually affects their growth,” are also unclear in reference. Make each paragraph follow a clear claim–explanation–example sequence and use linking phrases only when their relationship is precise.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main topic, with relevant terms such as “specific brand,” “promotes,” “followers,” and “influence.” There are also attempts to use more descriptive language, including “adventure and risky stunts.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unclear, which sometimes makes the reader work to understand the point. For example, “companies battle with their banners and agendas” does not clearly express how advertising competes for attention, and “inflammatory news” seems unsuitable for describing publicity. Spelling errors such as “extreamly,” “advertsing,” and “Cristina” also reduce accuracy. Choose more precise advertising vocabulary and check spelling and collocations during revision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response uses mostly straightforward sentence patterns and attempts some longer structures, including “Therefore, to make people buy a specific brand…” and “Individuals want something new and different, looking for a traditional way of promotion.” Meaning is generally understandable, but grammatical control is uneven, and errors occur in both simple and more complex sentences. For example, “other extreamly oppose this statement” lacks a clear grammatical subject and structure, while “Advertisements are made attractive and high quality” has an awkward construction. “As compared to normal days, more people are found to buy” is also difficult to control naturally. Practise building accurate complex sentences and check verb forms, sentence completeness, and the grammatical links between clauses.
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