Today, the high sales of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real needs of the society in which they are sold. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
The issue of whether high sales of popular consumer goodspopular consumer goods' high sales are a result of the influence of advertisinga result of advertising influence or genuine societal needs has been widely debatedhas been a subject of much discussion. I disagreeIn my opinion, I disagree with the statement that advertising is solely responsible for the high sales of consumer goods.
While it is true that advertising plays a significant role in promoting products and increasing sales, it is not the only determinant ofthe only factor that determines consumer behaviour. In fact, consumers often purchase products based on their needs and preferences, which are shaped by a variety of factors such as culture, lifestyle, and personal values. For instance, in countries with a high population density, small household appliances such as rice cookers and washing machines are in high demand due to their practicality and convenience, regardless of their brand or the amount of advertising they receive. Similarly, health-conscious individuals may prioritize purchasing products that align with their values, such as organic food or eco-friendly cleaning products. In these cases, advertising may play a minimal role in consumers' decision-making processesthe consumer's decision-making process.
Moreover, the rise of e-commerce and social media platforms has made advertising more accessiblehas democratized the advertising industry, allowing smaller brands with limited advertising budgets to effectively reach their target audiencesaudience through influencer marketing and targeted ads. This indicates that while advertising can influencecan certainly influence consumer behaviour, it is not the sole determinant of product sales. In fact, people have become so used to advertisements that they pay little attention to them.
In conclusion, while advertising plays a role in promoting consumer goods and increasing sales, it is important to recognize that consumer behaviour is influenced by a variety of factors beyond advertisingbeyond advertising alone. Therefore, the high sales of popular consumer goods cannot be solely attributed to the power of advertising, but are rather a reflection of a complex interplay of various societal and personal factors.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response presents a clear, nuanced disagreement and convincingly explains how practical needs, lifestyles, and personal values can drive purchases independently of advertising. Its main limitation is that the e-commerce paragraph partly demonstrates advertising's reach rather than directly proving other causes of high sales; the highest-priority improvement is to sharpen that paragraph's logical connection to the position and support the habituation claim with a specific example.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The position is clear and well supported by relevant examples, although the second main argument is less directly aligned with the central claim.
Replace or refine the e-commerce point so that it clearly demonstrates a non-advertising driver of strong consumer demand.
Coherence and Cohesion
The argument is logically sequenced, well paragraphised, and cohesively developed from qualification through evidence to conclusion.
Make the transition into the social-media paragraph signal more precisely how that point extends the preceding argument.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and flexible across consumer behaviour, values, digital marketing, and causation, with only minor awkwardness.
Refine occasional compressed phrasing, such as high sales of popular consumer goods, to maintain consistently natural expression.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is handled accurately, with punctuation and agreement controlled almost throughout.
Continue refining possessive constructions and long noun phrases to make already accurate sentences even more natural.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
IELTS Writing Task 2
Today, the high sales of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real needs of the society in which they are sold. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.