Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-10

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)

There is a debate on the fact that government should implement some policies to restrict smoking in public while others argues that some other initiatives should be taken to overcome the addiction of smoking among people. I will discuss the views of both groups along with my opinion in the impending paragraphs.

The welfare of a nation is the sole responsibility of the government bodies. For the betterment of the residents the legal authorities have implemented many strict policies related with traffic and for the safety of the public such as no smoking in the public areas. Moreover, strict actions are taken against the people who do not oblige the rules. To exemplify, heavy penalty is charged if someone is caught doing smoking in public and from the fear paying fine people eventually reduce smoking.

However, some individuals believe that along with strict policies some other initiatives are needed to completely reduce the smoking from country. Firstly, rehabilitation centers are a great asset for those who really want to quit smoking willing. Along with this, government should provide free healthcare and medications to smokers, so that they can quit smoking without giving a second thought to the expenses and will live a healthy life.

As far my viewpoint is concerned, I firmly accord with the fact that betterment of the nation and its residents is not only the responsibility of the government but also of the people. The official bodies can come up with new policies but it is the sole duty masses to follow them.

To conclude, it can be said that government and its masses together can change the nation into a better one. Every person should show some initiative to help the smokers to quit their bad habit and live a healthy and stress free life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both views regarding smoking restrictions and provides a personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While the first body paragraph discusses the role of government policies, the second paragraph touches on rehabilitation and healthcare. The personal opinion section is quite brief and lacks depth, failing to fully integrate the 'why' behind your stance. To reach a higher band, ensure that your opinion is clearly stated in the introduction and consistently supported with detailed arguments throughout the body paragraphs, rather than being relegated to a short, separate section at the end.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, and there is a clear progression of ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'To exemplify', and 'However' to link sentences and paragraphs. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the transition between the final body paragraph and the conclusion could be smoother. Additionally, the referencing in the final paragraph ('government and its masses') is slightly awkward. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall flow and coherence of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your meaning clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'rehabilitation centers', 'initiatives', and 'welfare'. However, there are some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'doing smoking' (should be 'smoking') and 'quit smoking willing' (should be 'willingly'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and lacks the sophistication required for higher bands. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common lexical items related to the topic of public health and policy-making.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'others argues' (should be 'others argue'), 'fear paying fine' (should be 'fear of paying a fine'), and 'duty masses' (should be 'duty of the masses'). These errors do not significantly impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, the correct use of articles, and prepositions. Proofreading your work for these small but persistent errors will help increase your accuracy.

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

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