GCE O Level English Paper 2 – Directed Writing: Advertising

This directed writing exercise gives practice in answering the revised GCE O level English paper 2.

Read both texts and answer the question given.

I don’t understand the criticism levelled against advertising in general. If there were no advertisements, we wouldn’t even know if there was a new product in the market. As a customer, how do I know if product A is different from product B? What are their comparative merits and demerits? Only through advertisements can it be known. Also, if I am a loyal customer to a brand, I would like to know if there are other products from the same brand. So, advertising creates brand awareness. Customers can choose the product they want only because of advertising, because otherwise how would they know the qualities of different products? We can make informed choices because of advertisements. If I am selling a product, I would definitely want to make a profit out of the sale, and I can make profit only if more and more customers are attracted to it. That is why advertising is needed.

I am not a fan of advertising. One reason the cost of consumer products is skyrocketing is the money spent on advertisements by the company that is producing the product. The cost is transferred to the consumer. Also, aren’t we all duped at least sometimes by dishonest advertising campaigns that exaggerate the merits of a product? Besides, advertisements can make a product so attractive that customers can be persuaded to buy the product even if they don’t need it. Moreover, the big and rich manufacturers can afford to advertise more attractively and extensively than the small scale businesses, so the latter runs out of business and cannot survive even if their products are better. So, we customers end up buying from the big businesses even if we might have had a better deal from the small businesses. This is really the case with local businesses.

Are advertisements advantageous or disadvantageous? Write a speech on this topic.

In your article you should:

• evaluate the ideas and opinions in both texts
• give your own views, based on what you have read in the texts about the advantages and disadvantages of advertisements. Address both of the bullet points.

Write about 250 to 350 words.

Sample Answer

Good morning,

I am sure all of us are familiar with advertisements. They are everywhere: in the newspapers, on TV, on social media. Are they good or bad? Do they benefit us or harm us?

What is the number one function of an advertisement? To inform. No one can deny that advertisements inform the customers about products that are there in the market. Imagine a world with no advertisements. Customers wouldn’t be able to make informed choices. They wouldn’t be able to compare the merits and demerits of different products. No one would be able to make an informed choice while buying something. Also, if I like a particular brand, I would like to know if there is a new product from the same brand. All this is possible only with advertisements. How about the benefits of advertising for manufacturers and businesses? In order to make a profit and run a business, advertisements are essential. Without advertisements, how do businesses attract customers and boost the sale of a product?

There are many people who believe that advertisements hike up the cost of a product for the customer. While this may be true, nowadays with the advent of social media, advertising costs are much lower than before, and thus customers are not so burdened with additional costs. Then there is the case of dishonest advertisements. It is true that some advertisements mislead us. However, there are regulatory agencies in many countries nowadays. They do not allow advertisements to make dishonest claims. Besides, people are more aware of such possibilities of fraud now because more people are getting educated compared to olden times. Another concern about advertisements is that big businesses are better placed to run more attractive advertising campaigns than small, local ones. This would, in theory, lead to the big businesses monopolizing the market. However, nowadays this is not the case because social media has really brought down the cost of advertising. Anyone can advertise on Instagram or Facebook at zero cost.

Don’t you now see that advertisements bring more advantages than disadvantages for customers and businesses? They help consumers be aware of different products in the market and make informed choices.

Thank you.