Ads lead people to make unnecessary purchases or they just introduce new products to customers

IELTS WRITING TASK 2

Some people say that advertising encourages us to buy things that we really do not need

Others say that advertisements tell us about new products that may improve our lives.

The world has been far developing to such an extent that the role of "advertising" is supposed to change. Some people hold firm to their belief that ads lead people to make unnecessary purchases; whilst, opponents argue that they introduce new products to customers. From my perspective, although the first idea is true to some extent, the second seems much more reasonable.

On the one hand, it is undeniable that customers' driving force to buy unneeded items is a result of advertising. Firstly, the demand for a more convenient life has recently increased. Once brands have already recognised this, they will introduce new products qualified enough to meet buyers' basic needs. Hence, people will build a habit of purchasing a larger number of goods. Additionally, it is wise marketing strategies that also encourage people to buy more than what they want. Acknowledging their customers' tendencies, brands will apply a lot of approaches to direct their customers. For instance, Shopee becomes well-known among online purchasers for its celebrity endorsement and flash sale campaigns.

On the other hand, that advertisements are of great benefits to people's lives is without question. Obviously, customers cannot only be well-provided with more information about products but may also raise their awareness about social issues sometimes included in brands' advertising campaigns. Take Pepsi's 2016 video, which contains both their drinks and current political problems in the USA, as a prime example. Furthermore, the more frequently ads are shown to the public, the better varieties of products are available to customers. As a result, they will have more choices of goods; therefore, making better decisions of what to buy, which will gradually improve their living standards.

In conclusion, despite unnecessary purchases encouraged by advertisements, they undoubtedly do great wonders to us. Hence, it is imperative that we become discerning customers in order to gain best benefits from advertising instead of being manipulated.

The writer has not even made an effort to understand the discussion topics as these relate to the prompt question. Hence, he failed to provide an appropriate prompt restatement and opinion response. What happened was he created his own topic and discussion method based solely on a poor understanding of the prompt topic. The discussion instruction was not considered at all. The question was, "which viewpoint do you agree with?". A clear single opinion essay based on a clear opinion choice.

His interpretation response was,


A response that is reserved only for extent essays. Therefore, the prompt deviation that will result in an unrelated response is clear to the examiner. The task accuracy score will be failing.

The student will not pass the test due to the incorrect response presentation, regardless of the minor scores that will be awarded to other sections. The score will not be zero, but it won't be passing either.

Honestly, the writer's English comprehension skills need to be properly developed. At this point that most important scoring aspect is his biggest problem. Rather than Task 2 essays, he should write about general essay topics until his understanding skills improve. Only after that should he even try to with task 2 essays. Learn to understand and write as per English instructions first.

I think your statement is quite unclear, you should answer directly what the question is about (choosing which view)
"although the first idea is true to some extent..."