Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-09

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 6.0)

Many individuals argue that a good approach for prohibiting the smoking is to ban it from civic places. On the other hand, some believe that this single step is not sufficient and other effective measures should be planned. However, I believe that various steps should be taken for the prevention such as permanent ban on cigarettes as well as organise awareness programmes.

On the one hand, smoking should be restricted in the local places as it cause harmful effect on general public. Various persons have allergy from such activities and they become passive smokers. This cause deleterious effect on their health which leads to the lungs problem such as difficulty in breathing. Apart from this, such kind of activity can also create wrong impression on teenagers and children. They will follow it what they saw and become addicted in the future. For example, a recent study revealed that 27% smokers use public area such as bus stands, railway stations for doing this illegal activity.

Is prohibiting smoking in illegal places alone sufficient? Some people believe that along with this step, other effective measures are also necessary. First of all, there should be permanent restriction on the production of cigarettes, vapes and other such materials. Moreover, government should organise various awareness programmes in which they should primarily focus on the harmful outcomes such as oral cancer, lung cancer. These types of campaign usually organise in the schools, colleges and public places so that upcoming youth will become more aware. For instance, it has been seen that 10% people are suffering from oral cancer because of smoking habit.

In conclusion, it is a crucial step to ban smoking in public places. However, I believe that this alone cannot bring more favourable outcomes. Along with this, awareness schemes and programmes should also be organized.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the health impact on passive smokers and the need for educational campaigns. However, some arguments are slightly under-developed; for instance, the suggestion to ban the production of cigarettes is a radical idea that lacks sufficient explanation or justification. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively summarizes the main points. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is fully explored with more depth and logical reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'Apart from this', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as 'such kind of activity' which lacks a clear antecedent. The progression of ideas is generally smooth, but the connection between the second and third paragraphs could be more fluid. Overall, the structure is appropriate for an IELTS essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some attempts at less common items like 'deleterious' and 'prohibiting'. However, there are several instances of awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'civic places' instead of 'public places', 'local places', and 'illegal places' (when referring to public areas where smoking is allowed). Additionally, phrases like 'wrong impression' and 'doing this illegal activity' are somewhat simplistic. While the meaning is always clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and precision is occasionally lacking.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the smoking', 'the lungs problem') and subject-verb agreement ('it cause', 'campaign usually organise'). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'They will follow it what they saw'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic article usage and ensuring verb forms are consistent with the subject.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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