Research indicates that nowadays some consumers are much less influenced by advertising than in the past. What do you think are the reasons for this? Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
Sample Response
In recent years, research suggests that consumers are less and less influencedincreasingly less swayed by traditional advertising. In my view, this shift can be attributed to two main factorsattributed to several factors, and I believe it represents a largely positive development for society.
Several factors explain why modern consumers are becoming less influenced by advertisingmore resistant to advertisements. Firstly, the widespread availability of information and online reviews allows individuals to make well-informed decisions without relyingdepending on promotional messages. For instance, shoppers frequently consult consumerpeer reviews before purchasing electronics, often selecting products based on others’ experiences rather than the claims made in advertisements. Secondly, consumers are now more awarecognizant of persuasive techniques and exaggerated marketing claimsmarketing exaggerations, which fosterfosters skepticism. Consequently, people critically evaluate advertisements, thus reducing their overall influence on purchasing behavior.
In my opinion, this trend has important implications, most of which are beneficial for society. On the one hand, traditional businesses may face challenges, as declining advertisingad effectiveness compels companies to allocate more resources to promotional strategiesmarketing or promotional strategies, thereby increasing costs. Local retailers, for example, often struggle to attract customers despite offering high-quality products, as online reviews and influencer recommendations dominate consumer decision-making. On the other hand, this development empowers consumers to make rational and informed choices, prioritizing quality and value over impulse purchasesprioritizing quality and value over impulsive spending. Specifically, by using price comparison apps or consulting online feedback, individuals can select products that genuinely meet their needs, which in turn motivates companies to improve product quality and transparency.
In conclusion, the diminishing influence of advertising stems from greater access to informationgreater information accessibility and consumer awareness of marketing tactics. Overall, this trend is positive, as it promotes informed decision-making among consumers while encouraging businesses to uphold higher standards of quality and accountability.
Why this response received Band 8.5
The response fully answers both questions through a clear position, well-selected reasons, and balanced development of the trend’s consequences, with particularly strong control of structure and complex language. The main limitation is that the disadvantage to businesses is slightly less convincingly tied to the reduced influence of advertising; strengthen that causal link and explain its broader significance to make the argument uniformly incisive.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both questions are answered directly through a clear position, relevant causes, and well-developed evaluation supported by specific examples.
Clarify why weaker advertising specifically raises costs for traditional businesses so the negative implication is as convincing as the benefits.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response is highly coherent, with purposeful paragraphing, strong internal progression, and cohesive devices used naturally and accurately.
Tighten the transition from the business drawback to the consumer benefits to make their comparative weighting even more explicit.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and flexible, with sophisticated topic language used naturally throughout the response.
Replace the slightly broad label traditional businesses with a more exact category that matches the example of local retailers.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex sentence forms is handled with consistently high accuracy and clear punctuation.
Maintain this control while occasionally varying the openings of explanatory sentences to make the syntax even less patterned.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Research indicates that nowadays some consumers are much less influenced by advertising than in the past. What do you think are the reasons for this? Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.