Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-02

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)

WHILE THE TOPIC OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ADVERTISING IS DISCUSSED, OPINIONS ARE DIVIDED. MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT ADVERTISING IS VERY EFFECTIVE IN ENCOURAGING CONSUMERS TO PURCHASE PRODUCTS, WHILE OTHERS ARGUE THAT PEOPLE HAVE BECOME SO SMART TO SEEING ADVERTISEMENTS THAT THEY TEND TO IGNORE THEM. MEANWHILE, BOTH VIEWS AND MY OPINION WILL BE EXPLAINED BELOW.

DISCUSSING THE FIRST VIEWPOINT, THE FOREMOST ARGUMENT SUPPORTERS WOULD PUT FORWARD IS THAT ADVERTISING IS VERY EFFECTIVE TO PERSUADING PEOPLE TO BUY PRODUCTS. TO JUSTIFY IT FURTHER, ADVERTISING CAN BE EFFECTIVE WHEN IT HAS IN POPULAR CHANNEL OR PLATFORM. FOR INSTANCE, ADVERTISEMENT IN JIO HOTSTAR THAT VERY EFFECTIVE WHEN STARTS IPL SEASON. FURTHERMORE, ENGAGING ADVERTISEMENT CAN ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BUY THAT PRODUCT. TO BE MORE PRECISE, PEOPLE ATTRACT WITH ENGAGING ADVERSEMENTS AND THAT HELPS TO ATTENTION TOWARDS THAT ALL PRODUCTS.

HOWEVER, THE LATTER VIEWPOINT HAS ITS OWN CLAIM. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ARGUMENT IS THAT ADVERTISING BECOME VERY COMMON AND PEOPLE KNOWS STRATEGY SO THEY ARE GIVE LESS ATTENTION TO ADVERTISEMENT. TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, PEOPLE BECOME VERY SMART SO THEY ALL ARE KNOWS TO THIS IS THE MARKETING STRATEGY. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE WATCH TV AND CAME ANY ADVERTISEMENT SO WE IGNORE THEM WITHOUT WATCHING FULL AD. IN ADDITION, PEOPLE ARE VERY CLEVER TO WHAT SHOULD ESSENTIAL TO BUY THIS PRODUCT OR NOT. TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, PEOPLE ONLY BUYS IMPORTANT THING FOR THEM.

TO CONCLUDE AND OFFER MY VIEWPOINT, I STRONGLY SUPPORT TO FIRST VIEWPOINT THAT ADVERTISEMENT IS VERY EFFECTIVE FOR MARKETING STRATEGY BECAUSE THAT NOT ONLY ATTRACTS PEOPLE THROUGH AD BUT ALSO POPULAR PLATEFORM HELPS IN ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO BUY PRODUCT.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You discuss both positions and make your own view clear in the introduction and conclusion, supporting the claim that advertising can influence purchases. The examples of IPL-season advertising and viewers skipping television adverts are relevant to the topic. However, the discussion is only partly developed: the first example does not explain how the advert persuades viewers, and the second viewpoint is mostly repeated as the idea that people are “smart” and know marketing strategies. Your conclusion also restates your preference rather than weighing the two views. To strengthen the response, explain specific mechanisms—such as celebrity endorsements, discounts, or repeated exposure—and acknowledge when advertising may be ignored. This would make the ideas more fully supported and the position more consistently reasoned.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion. The reader can follow the broad progression, and signposts such as “However” and “To conclude” help distinguish the sections. This coherent structure is a strength. Some linking, however, feels mechanical or repetitive: “To be more specific” and “Furthermore” introduce points that largely repeat the preceding claim rather than extend it. Connections within paragraphs are also sometimes unclear, particularly in the first body paragraph, where the IPL example is not fully linked to the claim about persuasion. Use fewer formulaic transitions and make each sentence build on the previous one through clear explanation and reference.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use topic-related vocabulary such as “consumers,” “marketing strategy,” “engaging,” and “advertisement,” so the subject is generally identifiable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, sometimes making the intended meaning difficult to follow. Examples include “effective to persuading,” “attract with engaging advertisements,” and “helps to attention towards.” There are also spelling errors, including “adversements” and “plateform,” and repeated use of “very effective” and “people.” Build a more precise set of expressions for influence and audience response, and check spelling and natural word partnerships. For example, say that an advert “captures viewers’ attention” or “encourages consumers to make a purchase.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt some longer sentence forms, including contrast between the two views and clauses introduced by “because” and “when.” However, the range is limited, and complex attempts are often faulty. Errors in agreement and verb forms appear in phrases such as “people knows,” “they are give,” and “people only buys.” Articles and sentence construction also need attention: “Advertisement in Jio Hotstar that very effective” lacks a complete, correctly formed clause, while “when we watch TV and came any advertisement” mixes verb forms and leaves the meaning unclear. These problems can make parts of the argument difficult to understand. Practise building accurate simple sentences first, then add subordinate clauses while checking subject–verb agreement, articles, and tense consistency.

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