Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-23
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 5.5)
It is often argued that a lot of individuals believe that announcements are able to make us purchasing things. Others, say that these ads are very matual as a result, we don't take care about it anymore. This essay will discuss both perspectives before presenting my own opinion.
On the one hand, there are several reasons why people support the view that advertising is a great way to motivate us to buy things. One main reason is that if we compare the sales of some products before and after it's advertising paln we will find a sharp growth in it's sales based on statistical data. This means that advertising has a significant impact on people's needs. In addition, recently many advertising agencies were established by a numerous business men and their main target was to increase their capitals by the profits which will come from advertising. which further strengthens this viewpoint.
On the other hand, many people argue that there are no need for advertising specially those common ones. This view is based on the belief that if they strongly need something, they will not wait for any advertising to buy it. For instance, if they have to buy a new electrical oven becuase their oven was damaged by fluctuation in electricity, then they will go to the nearest mall and purchase a new one without any need for advertising to direct them. From my prespective, i believe that advertising have an important role in changing people's need and have a significant effect to enhance the sales of some products. So we should't ignore the advertising in general.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You address both views and give a clear personal position: you explain that advertising can increase sales, then argue that people may buy essential items without seeing an advert, before stating that advertising still influences demand. The sales comparison and oven example are relevant, but the discussion is uneven. The first view is supported mainly by a general claim about sales data, without a specific explanation of how advertising persuades consumers; the second view focuses on urgent purchases rather than whether widespread advertising is ignored. Develop each side more directly and explain the mechanisms behind your examples. Your conclusion is present, but it would be stronger if it briefly brought the two arguments together rather than simply repeating your opinion.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, and a final statement of opinion. The signposts “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” help readers follow the contrast, and the oven example is placed in the paragraph supporting the second view. However, some links are mechanical or unclear. For example, “In addition” introduces a point about advertising agencies that does not clearly explain the preceding claim about sales, and the sentence beginning “which further strengthens this viewpoint” is detached after a full stop. The final opinion is also joined to the example paragraph, making the ending feel abrupt. Use clearer links between claims and evidence, and give the conclusion its own concise paragraph.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use some relevant topic vocabulary, including “advertising agencies,” “statistical data,” “significant impact,” and “purchase,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. However, the range is limited by repeated general words such as “advertising,” “things,” and “people,” and several choices or collocations are inaccurate: “announcements” does not convey the intended meaning as precisely as “advertisements,” while “motivate us to buy” and “enhance the sales” are not natural in this context. Spelling errors such as “matual,” “becuase,” and “prespective” also reduce accuracy. Build a more precise set of terms for consumer behaviour and advertising, and check spelling and common word partnerships during revision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt a mix of simple and complex forms, including a conditional structure (“if we compare the sales… we will find”) and a reason clause in the oven example. These attempts show some range, and the overall meaning can usually be followed. However, there are some errors in sentence construction, agreement, and punctuation. For example, “Others, say” has an unnecessary comma, “there are no need” has incorrect agreement, and “advertising have” should use a singular verb. The sentence fragment “which further strengthens this viewpoint” also needs to be connected to the preceding sentence. Review subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries, and check that longer sentences have a complete main clause.
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