Does advertising control what we buy
This is a model answer written to show what a Band 7 response looks like against the marking criteria. It is a worked example, not a graded submission. To see your own band, paste your writing into the free checker.
The prompt
Some people say that advertising has so much influence that consumers no longer make real choices about what they buy. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Band 7 model answer (250 words)
Advertising surrounds modern life so completely that some argue our purchasing decisions are no longer truly our own. I partly agree: advertising shapes what we want far more than we like to admit, although it does not remove choice entirely.
The evidence that advertising works on us is overwhelming, starting with the simple fact that companies spend billions on it and measure the return carefully. Modern campaigns rarely argue that a product is useful; instead they attach feelings to it, so a car becomes freedom and a soft drink becomes friendship. Digital platforms have sharpened this power by tracking individual behaviour, meaning each person now sees advertisements engineered for their own weaknesses, delivered at the moment they are most likely to give in.
Nevertheless, calling consumers powerless goes too far. People compare prices, read independent reviews and abandon heavily advertised products that disappoint them, which is why some of the most promoted brands still fail. Advertising is better understood as a thumb on the scale: it biases decisions rather than dictating them, and its influence weakens whenever buyers slow down and check claims for themselves.
The genuine concern is for those least able to apply that scrutiny. Children cannot yet tell persuasion from information, which is a strong argument for regulating advertising aimed at them even if adults are left to defend themselves.
In conclusion, advertising steers our desires more than most of us realise, but informed consumers can still push back. Influence is real; total control is an exaggeration.
Why this reaches Band 7
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Task Response
The partial agreement is precisely defined, influence yes, total control no, and both halves are argued with specifics rather than left as a fence-sitting compromise. The point about children extends the answer beyond the obvious.
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Coherence and Cohesion
The turn at "Nevertheless, calling consumers powerless goes too far" is exactly where the argument needs it, and the final short sentences give the conclusion a clear, confident shape.
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Lexical Resource
Vivid but controlled phrasing such as "engineered for their own weaknesses", "a thumb on the scale" and "tell persuasion from information" shows the flexibility Band 7 rewards.
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Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Varied sentence architecture, including the balanced closer "Influence is real; total control is an exaggeration", with minimal error.
The one fix to reach Band 7
Band 6 answers to "to what extent" questions often just agree or disagree flatly. The change that reaches Band 7 is defining the extent precisely, as this essay does by separating influence from control and defending the line between them.
Now check your own answer.
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