Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-27

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)

A number of people opine that commercials still play a major roles in influencing what we purchase, whereas others argue that people no longer pay attention to advertisements as it is so common. This essay will discuss both viewpoints before explaining why I believe that advertisements are still successful in persuading people.

Those who support the view that advertisements are no longer effective often point to lack creativity in commercials. Nowadays, most advertisements are produced using the same formula. As the human brain becomes bored easily, the repetative layout is ineffective in retaining attention. Hence, people do not pay attention to it unless the commercial contains something unique.

On the other hand, those who think that commercials are still effective argue that advertisements still play a role in intruiging individuals to make purchases. Commercials often highlight the features of a product that are different from the others in the field and market them as must haves. This intrigues people to purchase the item even if they do not need it. Moreover, companies usally employ famous celebrities to promote their products. This further increase sales as fans often support their favorite role models by purchasing products that they promote.

In my opinion, though the appeal of commercials have reduced, they still play a significant role in guiding purchases. Advertisements play a great role in promoting the features of a product and explaining why they should buy it. Before making a purchase, individuals usally look into its' features, especially if the item is expensive. Hence, advertisements can lead to sales.

To sum it up, while both viewpoints have valid grounds- lack of creativity and pursuation in purchasing, I believe that advertisements are still effective as they still influence the purchase of individuals.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address both views and state a consistent opinion: advertisements may have lost some appeal, but still influence purchasing. The discussion includes relevant reasons, such as repetitive formats reducing attention, product features attracting buyers, and celebrity endorsements encouraging fans to purchase. This covers the task well. However, some points are asserted rather than fully explained. For example, the claim that people examine advertisements when buying expensive items could be developed with a specific example or clearer explanation of how advertising affects that decision. The view that advertising is now too common is also treated mainly through lack of creativity, rather than exploring other effects of saturation. Your position is clear, but fuller development and support across both views would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay has a clear, effective structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs for the two views, your opinion, and a conclusion. The progression is easy to follow, and signposts such as “On the other hand,” “Moreover,” and “To sum it up” help readers track the argument. Ideas within paragraphs are generally ordered logically, moving from a claim to its explanation. Some linking is a little mechanical or repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “Advertisements play a role” and “Hence.” The reference in “unless the commercial contains something unique” is understandable, though the paragraph could connect this point more explicitly to the broader claim about widespread advertising. More varied, precise transitions and less repetition would make the cohesion more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “influencing,” “repetitive layout,” “features,” “promote,” and “purchase.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and phrases such as “must haves” and “role models” show an attempt to use more specific language. However, some less common choices are inaccurate or awkward: “lack creativity” needs a more natural construction, “intruiging individuals” is not the right collocation for encouraging purchases, and “pursuation in purchasing” is unclear. There are also spelling errors, including “repetative,” “usally,” and “favorite” (useful to check consistency in spelling conventions). Greater accuracy in collocations and word forms, alongside more precise alternatives to repeated words such as “advertisements” and “purchase,” would strengthen the vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses beginning “As,” “unless,” and “though,” and most sentences remain clear. Some grammatical errors persist, particularly with agreement and possessives. For example, “commercials still play a major roles” should use a singular noun after “a,” while “This further increase sales” needs a verb agreeing with the singular subject. In “the appeal of commercials have reduced,” the subject and verb do not agree, and “its' features” has an incorrect possessive form. The sentence “Advertisements play a great role in promoting the features of a product and explaining why they should buy it” also shifts from a product to “they,” making the reference unclear. Careful editing for agreement, possessives, and consistent pronoun reference would improve accuracy.

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