IELTS Task 2 discussion essay: The effects of advertising
A Task 2 discussion question. Explain both views fairly, then give your own opinion. The question asks for all three, so an essay on one side only answers part of it.
4 students’ essays below, each marked by Axiom, from band 6.0 to 8.0. Updated on 12 September 2026.
The question
Some people say advertising has positive economic effects. Others think it has negative social effects because it will make people dissatisfied with who they are and what they have.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Students’ essays on this question, marked by Axiom
Across these 4 essays the average band is 7.0: Task Response 7.3, Coherence and Cohesion 6.8, Lexical Resource 7.3, Grammatical Range and Accuracy 7.3. Coherence and Cohesion was the weakest criterion.
Real answers, shared without their writers’ names, newest first. Each opens with its revisions marked in place. Estimated by AI. It isn’t an official IELTS score.
Overall band, an AI estimate: 6.0
Essay #4
Task response 6.0, coherence 6.0, vocabulary 6.0, grammar 6.0
There has been an ongoing debate over whether advertising can improve the economy or primarily have negative effects on society. While some people think advertising has a…
Overall band, an AI estimate: 6.5
Essay #3
Task response 7.0, coherence 6.0, vocabulary 7.0, grammar 7.0
There is a view on the impacts of advertising. Some people argue that advertising can be benefical in economic fields in terms of the improvement of intertaional…
Overall band, an AI estimate: 8.0
Essay #2
Task response 8.0, coherence 8.0, vocabulary 8.0, grammar 8.0
In an era characterized by the growing popularity of advertising, there has been an increasing debate about whether it has positive or negative effects on society. While…
Overall band, an AI estimate: 7.5
Essay #1
Task response 8.0, coherence 7.0, vocabulary 8.0, grammar 8.0
In recent years advertisements have become more common than ever before. Although some people emphasize the economic benefits brought by this development, others beg to…
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