IELTS Writing Task 2 prompt
Some people believe that advertising has a negative effect on society and should be strictly controlled by governments. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Source practice test: IELTS Writing Test 13
Band 9 model answer
Expert-level response
Advertising undoubtedly shapes consumer behaviour and cultural values, and critics argue that its more manipulative tactics warrant firm government intervention. While I accept that certain forms of advertising cause genuine harm and justify targeted regulation, I do not believe blanket state control of the entire industry is either necessary or desirable.
The case for tighter regulation rests on well-documented harms. Advertisements aimed at children exploit their limited capacity for critical judgement, encouraging unhealthy eating habits and materialistic attitudes from an early age. Similarly, promotions for gambling, alcohol and payday loans can push vulnerable individuals towards financially or physically damaging decisions, while the pervasive use of unrealistic body images has been linked to anxiety and low self-esteem, particularly among young people. In these specific areas, where the potential for harm is clear and the target audience is especially susceptible, governments have a legitimate duty to impose restrictions, such as banning junk-food advertising during children's television programmes or requiring health warnings on certain products.
However, extending strict control to advertising as a whole would be a disproportionate response that overlooks its considerable benefits. Advertising funds much of the free media that societies rely on, from independent journalism to online services, and it provides consumers with valuable information about prices, products and innovations that supports informed choice and healthy market competition. Excessive regulation risks stifling this economic and informational function, raising costs for businesses and ultimately consumers, and it can amount to unwarranted paternalism when applied to advertisements that are merely persuasive rather than deceptive. A more proportionate approach would combine targeted legal restrictions on demonstrably harmful advertising with independent industry codes of practice and improved media literacy education, which empowers citizens to evaluate marketing claims critically rather than treating them as fundamentally untrustworthy.
In conclusion, while I agree that advertising can inflict real social harm in specific contexts and that governments should regulate these clearly identified areas, I disagree that the industry as a whole deserves strict, blanket control, since this would sacrifice its genuine economic and informational value for the sake of addressing problems that targeted measures could resolve more effectively.
Why this meets Band 9
- Task Response: the essay takes a clear, partial-agreement position and sustains it with a nuanced distinction between targeted harms and blanket control, fully addressing 'to what extent'.
- Coherence and Cohesion: ideas progress logically from specific harms to broader benefits to a balanced solution, with cohesive devices like 'however' and 'in these specific areas' integrated naturally rather than mechanically.
- Lexical Resource: precise, topic-specific vocabulary is used accurately, including 'unwarranted paternalism', 'demonstrably harmful', 'media literacy' and 'disproportionate response', showing range beyond common advertising terms.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: a variety of complex structures, including conditional-style reasoning, relative clauses and subordinate clauses, are used with full control and no errors that impede meaning.
Band 6 sample answer
Competent but limited response
Nowadays, advertising is everywhere, on television, on the internet and on the streets. Some people think that advertising has a bad effect on society and the government should control it strictly. In my opinion, I partly agree with this idea because advertising has both good and bad points.
Firstly, advertising can have many negative effects on people, especially children. For example, children see advertisements for junk food and sweets all the time, and this can make them want to eat unhealthy food. Also, some advertisements show very thin or perfect-looking models, and this can make young people feel bad about their own body. Moreover, advertising for things like alcohol or gambling can be dangerous for people who cannot control themselves. Because of these problems, I think governments should make some rules to control this kind of advertising, especially the ones that target children.
On the other hand, advertising is not only bad for society. It also helps businesses to sell their products and helps customers to know about new things in the market. Without advertising, many small companies would not be able to compete with big companies. In addition, advertising gives money to newspapers, websites and TV channels, so if the government controls advertising too strictly, these companies might have financial problems. Therefore, I do not think the government should control all kinds of advertising completely, because this could damage the economy and businesses.
In conclusion, I agree that advertising can be harmful in some situations, such as advertising to children or advertising for dangerous products, and I think the government should control these types strictly. However, I do not think the government should control all advertising because it also brings many benefits to society and the economy.
Why this sits around Band 6
- Task Response: the position is stated and a partial answer is given, but the discussion of 'to what extent' remains generic and the examples are underdeveloped compared to a Band 9 response.
- Coherence and Cohesion: paragraphing is clear but linking relies on mechanical, memorised connectors such as 'Firstly', 'On the other hand' and 'In conclusion' rather than varied, natural cohesion.
- Lexical Resource: vocabulary is adequate but repetitive, with words like 'bad', 'good' and 'many' overused instead of more precise alternatives, and little topic-specific terminology beyond basic terms.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: sentences are mostly simple or compound with basic complex forms like 'because' and 'if' clauses; there are minor errors, such as 'people who cannot control themselves', that do not block understanding but limit accuracy.
Should I fully agree, fully disagree, or partly agree in this advertising essay?
A partial agreement position, as shown in the Band 9 sample, often scores highest because it lets you distinguish between specific harmful practices, such as advertising aimed at children, and advertising in general, which has clear economic benefits. Whichever stance you choose, the key is to state it clearly in the introduction and apply it consistently throughout, rather than simply listing advantages and disadvantages without a firm conclusion.