Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-07

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people say that the best way to discourage smoking is to make smoking illegal in public places. Other people say that this is not enough and that other measures are needed.

Discuss both these views, and give your opinion.

Give reasons for your answer, and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.0)

From my perspective . I think making smoking illegal in the public places it is a very impactful because it discourage many people , and make an impact on people's mind ,in sense of what they will need to pay if they get caught in public, Numerous people I think would stop because when you hear the word illegal , you will think how serious is the rule and about the consequences that will come with it , if you don't follow the rule made by the government.

From my point of view I think making smoking is already a big step where people will think about to it before they smoke, beacause for instance one time I went to the mall with my clode friend and I say an elderly men seating on the chair near the small coffee shop, he was about to take out from his pocket a packet of cigarettes , but suddenly he stopped and saw the board where there was written that how smoking was illegal in this place, it was in red so that made caution the men that how impactful would his action. That's the reason I believe that making those signs where it says that" smoking is illegal" makes a postive effect on people and stop them to make a bad choice. On the other side people think that this is not enough there are other jobs that should be needed to be done, like for example people think that is just a normal sign so people would do not follow them and take it easly and dont pay that much attention, that's why many people make ads or posters to raise awereness and guide people on the right track, lots of them campaign and make videos where they all the cons that comes with smoking,

Both side are equally valid because every single person has their own point of views, some of them think there shoul be more steps to make a thing work perfectly and respected by everyone.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address both views and give a personal position: you support making smoking illegal in public places, while also acknowledging campaigns and awareness-raising as additional measures. The mall anecdote about the smoker noticing a sign is relevant and helps illustrate your first view. However, the discussion of further measures is brief, and the final claim that “Both side are equally valid” does not clearly explain which approach you ultimately consider most effective. Some points, such as the consequences of being caught, are repeated rather than developed with further reasoning or evidence. To strengthen the response, explain how enforcement and education could work together, and state your own conclusion consistently and directly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some organisation: the response first supports a public smoking ban, then introduces the view that more measures are needed, and ends with a general concluding statement. Linking phrases such as “On the other side” help signal a change in viewpoint. However, the first two sections repeat similar arguments about signs discouraging smokers, so the progression is not always clear. The second view is introduced within a long sentence and is not developed into a distinct, balanced section. Several ideas are joined by commas, making relationships between them difficult to follow. Use clear paragraphs for each view and your opinion, and connect each example to the point it supports.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “illegal,” “consequences,” “raise awareness,” and “campaign,” and the anecdote makes the discussion concrete. However, the range is limited and several phrases are repeated, particularly “make an impact” and “people think.” Some word choices and collocations are unclear, such as “make a bad choice,” “make a thing work perfectly,” and “the cons that comes with smoking.” Spelling errors, including “beacause,” “postive,” and “awereness,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise expressions and check spelling; for example, describe the health risks of smoking and the deterrent effect of penalties rather than relying on general wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses with “because,” “where,” and “if.” However, complex sentences are often faulty, and frequent errors sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. For example, “making smoking illegal … it is a very impactful” has an incomplete or misconstructed clause, while “he was about to take out … a packet” is followed by several clauses joined without clear punctuation. There are also problems with articles, agreement, and verb forms, as in “an elderly men seating” and “the cons that comes.” Sentence boundaries and punctuation need particular attention. Practise writing shorter, complete sentences first, then combine ideas using accurate subordinate clauses.

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