Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-05

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 5.5)

As we all know, smoking is not good for health but , some people get addict to it so , for help them quieting we can take some following measures as by, not allowing them to smoke in public or if needed government can also include more taxes and giving reward for leave smoking.

Some people think, the best way to discourage is to make smoking illegal in public places honestly, that will be a very good initiative if it is going to be approved, as after that regular smokers will be ashamed of themselves, craving for smoke will also be flushed after a few weeks. By this rule there will be a fear of breaking the law and to be get punished. Example- If a man smokes in public children and others would be motivated which will indirectly promotes to be a smoker.

Other citizens think, there should be more rules and regulations for the smokers such as, fine on public smoking, more taxes should be implemented on cigars, free camps should be installed for quieting and many more. the ruling party should be more concern about the impact which can be seen on younger generation. According to the surveys, GEN-Z are more consuming smoking as by the influence older generation.

My opinion is, Government should take more steps rather than just not allow people to smoke in public as, an addict they can still consume it just not in public, fine and taxes would be more preferable and many other steps after reviewing and analysis the core problem

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that banning smoking in public might make smokers feel 'ashamed', this point is not fully explored. Similarly, the suggestion of 'free camps' is mentioned but not explained in terms of how it effectively discourages smoking. The response covers all parts of the prompt, but the arguments lack depth and supporting evidence, which prevents it from reaching a higher band. To improve, ensure each main idea is supported by a clear explanation or a concrete example.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, the transition 'as by, not allowing them' is awkward and grammatically incorrect. There is also a lack of variety in linking words; the essay relies heavily on simple connectors. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'that will be a very good initiative', where the antecedent is slightly vague. Improving the flow between sentences through more sophisticated transition words would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of incorrect word choice, such as 'get addict to it' instead of 'become addicted to it' and 'quieting' instead of 'quitting'. The phrase 'GEN-Z are more consuming smoking' is also unnatural. While you attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'regulations' and 'initiative', the frequent errors in word formation and collocation limit the score. Focusing on learning the correct word forms and common collocations related to social issues will help improve your lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include incorrect verb forms ('for help them quieting'), missing articles ('the government'), and punctuation errors, such as unnecessary commas before 'as' or 'but'. Subject-verb agreement is also inconsistent, for example, 'GEN-Z are more consuming'. These errors are frequent and occasionally make the reader work harder to understand the intended meaning. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of articles and prepositions.

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