Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-04
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)
There is an ongoing debate whether advertising persuades people into buying a product, others think it is so common that people hardly pay attention to it. Advertisement of encourages populace to purchase product because people love to buy what is being advertised although when advertisement is done the wrong way people will hardly pay attention to the brand. I believe that when advertisement is done the right way many people will oblige to get the product.
Advertising using billboards, television stations and social media is a common phenomenon amongst producers and this has made many people buy certain goods when they see finally them in the open market or supermarket because these producers would have gained popularity and large number of people will buy them compared to products that they have not heard about. Advertisement makes a particular company and firm to be engraven in the minds of people and they may want to try out their services. Individuals likes to try out new things so when they see new goods being advertised they tend to purchase it and try it out and through this process the manufacturer might gain more customers.
On the other hand, when the jingle about a product is too much people just vibe to it and would not make a purchase and this is mostly due to poor marketing skills especially when a product is advertised with dance or song or when the graphics is cumbered, people will only just dance and sing without buying. For instance, when polaris bank used doubting thomas for an advertisement, the masses only loved the show and the traffic seen did not translate to more customers.
In conclusion, advertisement is good and converts to more customers if done the right way, unless people will only dance and will not pay attention to what is being sold.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
You address both views and state a clear opinion: advertising can attract customers when it is done effectively. The first main paragraph explains how exposure builds familiarity and encourages people to try products, while the second presents the opposing view through the Polaris Bank example. This is relevant coverage of the task. However, the two sides are not developed equally: the claim that people ignore advertising when it is poorly executed is asserted more than explained, and the example does not clearly show how the advert failed to generate customers. To strengthen the response, explain more precisely what makes advertising persuasive or easy to ignore, and connect each example directly to the argument.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion that restates your position. Transitions such as “On the other hand” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the discussion. Within paragraphs, however, some ideas run together, particularly in the first body paragraph, where familiarity, popularity, trying new products, and gaining customers are linked in a long sequence without clear separation. The opening sentence also combines the two views in a way that makes their relationship difficult to follow. Use clearer topic sentences and divide explanations into more manageable steps; ensure pronouns such as “it” and “they” have unmistakable references. This would make the progression less repetitive and cohesion more precise.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use a reasonable range of topic vocabulary, including “billboards,” “social media,” “popularity,” “manufacturer,” and “marketing skills.” These choices make the subject clear, and phrases such as “engraven in the minds of people” show an attempt to use less common language. However, several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, including “Advertisement of encourages populace,” “jingle about a product is too much,” and “the graphics is cumbered.” Some word forms and collocations also reduce precision, as in “purchase product” and “the traffic seen.” Aim for more natural combinations and precise terms, such as “advertising campaign,” “overexposure,” and “customer interest.” Proofreading for spelling and word form would also improve control.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “because,” “when,” and “although,” and the overall meaning is generally understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and agreement occur in several places. For example, “There is an ongoing debate whether…” needs a linking structure such as “about whether,” while “Individuals likes” has a subject–verb agreement error. In “Advertisement of encourages populace,” the sentence structure is incomplete, and “unless people will only dance” does not express the intended contrast accurately. Some sentences are also long and difficult to control. Practise building accurate complex sentences, checking agreement and articles, and using punctuation to separate complete ideas.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.