Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Opinions are divided on whether advertisements have lost their ability to convince people to purchase a product or if they are still an effective way of branding. While an overwhelming amount of advertisements surrounding us have definitely desensitised us to this form of marketing, I believe that it still has a considerable impact on our shopping patterns.

One of the primary reasons for this belief is that people these days are constantly using social media, following influential figures. Since most people idolise these celebrities, especially young children, they tend to be easily convinced and purchase the products they endorse. Additionally, the social feed is constantly filled with product advertisements; it is so ingrained in our everyday life that even watching videos on YouTube requires us to sit through advertisements. This can show us products that we normally would not need, but due to constant exposure to such items, it can create a false sense of need, leading to impulse purchases.

On the other hand, the sheer volume of advertisements has also negatively impacted the sales of products in many cases. For instance, when an advertisement is repeated continuously around us, people start to get irritated, and it instils a negative emotion towards that particular product. This is quite evident as many platforms are offering a premium version of their service which gives access to an ad-free platform.

In conclusion, although advertisements are very engaging in garnering consumer interest, but it is usually not the deciding factor when it comes to buying a product.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both views and state your own position: advertising can desensitise people, yet it still affects shopping patterns. The discussion of social-media endorsements and repeated exposure gives relevant support for advertising’s persuasive power, while the irritation caused by repetition presents the opposing view. However, the two sides are not developed equally. The first is explained through several mechanisms, whereas the opposing argument relies mainly on irritation and the example of ad-free subscriptions; this does not fully show how widespread advertising leads people to ignore advertisements. Your conclusion also introduces a qualification—that advertising is not usually the deciding factor—which could be reconciled more clearly with your opening claim that it has a considerable impact. Develop this contrast and clarify your final position.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph supporting advertising’s influence, a contrasting paragraph, and a conclusion. The progression from social-media endorsements to repeated exposure is easy to follow, and signposts such as “Additionally” and “On the other hand” help distinguish the ideas. Cohesion is not always fully controlled, however. The opening sentence of the second body paragraph says advertising has “negatively impacted the sales,” but the explanation focuses on irritation rather than clearly connecting this to reduced sales. In the conclusion, “although … but” creates an awkward link, and the final qualification is not clearly tied back to the stated opinion. Make these relationships explicit and use referencing and transitions less mechanically.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a good range of topic vocabulary, including “desensitised,” “endorse,” “constant exposure,” “impulse purchases,” and “ad-free platform.” These choices allow you to discuss both persuasion and advertising fatigue with some precision, and the meaning remains clear. There are also a few less natural collocations or imprecise expressions that limit the flexibility of the vocabulary: “effective way of branding” is not quite the same as an effective way of persuading consumers, and “negatively impacted the sales” is awkward in this context. “The social feed” is also less idiomatic than “social-media feeds.” Aim for more precise collocations and avoid repeating broad terms such as “advertisements” and “products” when a more specific alternative would clarify the point.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex structures, including the concessive opening clause “While …, I believe …” and the conditional construction “when an advertisement is repeated …, people start to get irritated.” Most sentences are understandable, and errors do not prevent the reader from following your argument. Some grammatical choices still need attention. In the conclusion, “although advertisements …, but it is …” combines two contrasting structures; use either “although” or “but,” not both. In “it can create a false sense of need,” the pronoun’s reference is unclear because the preceding subject is “products”; recast the sentence so the cause is explicit. Check sentence links and pronoun reference to make your otherwise varied structures more consistently controlled.

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