Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-07-29

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 7.0)

Some individuals say that the appropriate way to discourage smoking is to restrict its use in public places. others argue that banning it alone is not enough and more restrictions should be added. This essay will discuss both points and I will give my opinion in the end.

On the one hand, a ban in public taking of tobacco is a necessary step on discouraging users and protecting non-smokers. This will help protect people who do not take it an maintain a safer society. However, it does not absolutely mitigate the situation as smokers will still take it in their safe zone and the problem of addiction is not solved.

On the other hand, more measures can also be put in place to reduce tobacco addiction and protect the society. For instance, government can increase taxes on tobacco products, as well as educate the masses on the health implications of smoking. In addition, cessation support programs can be initiated to help people who decide to disengage from smoking. With the right implementation of these suggestions, it will protect non-smoker, discourage current addicts and provide a safer society.

In my opinion, making smoking illegal in public places alone will not achieve the desired results. Rather, increasing taxation on tobacco products, educating the general public on the dangers of smoking and providing support to those who wished to stop will yield a better result.

In conclusion, banning smoking in public places will protect the non-smokers, but will not discourage the people currently addicted to stop taking it. I believe more measures such as increased taxation on the products, providing cessation support and educating the people will provide a better solution to achieving a healthier society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the public smoking ban and the need for additional measures. You clearly state your position in the introduction and maintain it throughout the essay. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention taxation, education, and cessation programs, these points could be expanded with more specific examples or deeper analysis to reach a higher band. The conclusion effectively summarizes your stance, but ensure that your arguments in the body paragraphs are fully explored rather than just listed to demonstrate a more sophisticated level of task response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand,' 'On the other hand,' and 'In addition' to guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. To improve, try to vary your cohesive devices further and ensure that the transition between sentences is smoother. Some sentences feel slightly disjointed, and the flow could be improved by using more sophisticated referencing or linking phrases that connect the ideas more tightly within the paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'mitigate,' 'cessation,' and 'implications' correctly. However, there are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'public taking of tobacco' and 'take it in their safe zone.' These choices are understandable but lack the precision expected at higher bands. To improve, focus on collocations—words that naturally go together—such as 'public consumption of tobacco' or 'private settings.' Expanding your repertoire of topic-specific vocabulary will help you achieve a more professional and academic tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is a good start. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'discourage users and protecting non-smokers' (parallelism issue) and 'protect non-smoker' (missing plural). Additionally, 'those who wished to stop' should be 'those who wish to stop' to maintain consistent tense. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage to ensure your writing is more polished and accurate.

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