If a product is good or meets people’s needs, they will buy it. Therefore, advertising is unnecessary and no more than entertainment.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 2 question on IELTSX. If a product is good or meets people’s needs, they will buy it. Therefore, advertising is unnecessary and no more than entertainment.

Advertising is unnecessary because people buy products that meet their needs - IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Write at least 250 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 8 · 378 words.

The necessity of advertising has always sparked a widespread debate. While some claim that since products meet people's needs, advertisements have lost their significance and are no more than entertainment, I totally disagree with this argument and believe that increasing brand awareness and providing information for customers are the main purposes of advertising, which makes it necessary.

Perhaps the main reason why I find advertisements necessary is that they allow businesses to promote their products and increase brand awareness. Although good products meet people's needs regardless of media exposure, I personally contend that, in a large-scale market, advertisements play a crucial role in helping businesses remain competitive. With the development of marketing, many companies use various methods to promote their products, thereby encouraging businesses to regularly develop new ideas. In today's world, advertising is really important, as it creates a lasting connection with a brand and guarantees long-term success, particularly for developing companies. This can be exemplified by the creative advertisements of Coca-Cola, which promotes its products through advertising and has built a solid global reputation. Therefore, I firmly believe that advertising will remain important, even though products are already popular.

Besides this, I believe that advertising is pivotal and serves as informative content. Through many medical advertising campaigns promoting healthy lifestyles and medicines, customers encountering health-related problems benefit significantly from these advertisements. People who use a particular medicine can receive important information about its usage or benefits, ultimately improving their overall well-being and becoming aware of the effects of the product. A perfect case in point would be the remedies used for treating children's illnesses, where, by watching an advertisement, parents can obtain valuable information about the correct proportions and age limits, preventing adverse effects from these medicines. Thus, I totally disagree with the claim that advertising is no more than entertainment and contend that its further advantages, particularly its informative features, are more than enough to demonstrate its importance.

In conclusion, although some people believe that if a product is already popular and meets people's needs, there is no necessity for advertisements since they are merely a form of entertainment, I totally disagree with this statement and firmly believe that advertisements are truly necessary due to the increased brand awareness and informative features that they provide.

Examiner feedback

This is a very strong response that effectively challenges the prompt's premise. The candidate demonstrates high-level control of both language and organization, resulting in a clear, persuasive, and sophisticated argument that meets the criteria for Band 8.0 across all categories.

Task Response - 8

- Fully addresses all parts of the prompt by arguing against the 'unnecessary' and 'only entertainment' claims. - Presents a clear and consistent position throughout the essay. - Ideas are well-supported with relevant examples (Coca-Cola, medical advertisements), though the development of the 'entertainment' counter-argument could be slightly more nuanced.

Coherence & Cohesion - 8

- Information is organized logically with a clear progression from the introduction to the conclusion. - Paragraphing is used effectively, with each body paragraph focusing on one distinct central topic (brand awareness and information). - Cohesive devices like 'Although', 'Besides this', and 'In conclusion' are used appropriately, though some transitions feel a bit formulaic.

Lexical Resource - 8

- Uses a wide range of vocabulary (e.g., 'media exposure', 'pivotal', 'adverse effects', 'solid global reputation') with flexibility. - Shows good awareness of collocation and style, particularly in the context of marketing and health. - Rare errors in word choice are present but do not impede communication.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 8

- Demonstrates a wide range of structures, including complex sentences and conditional forms. - The majority of sentences are error-free, showing good control over grammar and punctuation. - Occasional minor awkwardness in phrasing exists (e.g., 'remedies used for treating children's illnesses') but does not impact clarity.

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