Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-13

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)

Some people say that the best way to discourage smoking is to make smoking illegal in public places. I partially agree with this statement it can be banned in public places but that does not make people stop smoking it will just make them less noticeable to the public. If smoking has to be discouraged other measures should be taken into action like making awareness campaigns that suggest public disadvantages of it and what life has more to offer rather than just smoking and choose better things in life and find ways to stop smoking slowly, also there should be places selling products to get rid of smoking slowly and that should be easily accessible both in terms of pricing and reach to the public like how ciggrates are right now available in small places similar it should be done for products to get rid of it. The public should also be aware of how it can affect their body and in future, what consequences they may face it will effect their lungs gradually and cases of individuals who are smoking daily will be skyrocket in future.Furthermore they should about the family they love and reasons on why they should quit smoking rather than finding more ways of smoking. Additionally ,I would add that only discouraging smoking in public will not make people have it less because they can find other places easily that where they can smoke more actions need to be taken by government and the society they live in.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both views and provides a clear opinion. However, the development of ideas is limited. While you mention awareness campaigns and the availability of cessation products, these points are not fully extended or supported with specific examples. The argument remains somewhat repetitive, focusing heavily on the idea that public bans are ineffective without exploring the 'why' or 'how' of alternative measures in sufficient depth. To reach a higher band, ensure each main idea is supported by a clear explanation or a concrete example to demonstrate a more thorough exploration of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay lacks a clear paragraph structure, as it is presented as one long block of text. This makes the progression of ideas difficult to follow. While there are some cohesive devices used, such as 'Furthermore' and 'Additionally', they are often used to link sentences that are already structurally disjointed. The lack of paragraphing is a significant issue that hinders the logical flow of the argument. To improve, you must organize your response into distinct paragraphs: an introduction, two body paragraphs (one for each view), and a conclusion. This will help the reader navigate your argument more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You use basic phrasing such as 'get rid of smoking' and 'choose better things in life'. There are also some minor errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'ciggrates' and 'effect' (used instead of 'affect'). To improve, try to incorporate more academic collocations and precise terminology related to public health and policy, such as 'cessation aids', 'public health initiatives', or 'legislative measures'. Expanding your range of vocabulary will help you express your ideas with greater clarity and sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures and contains frequent grammatical errors, particularly with run-on sentences and comma splices. For example, 'I partially agree with this statement it can be banned...' lacks proper punctuation. There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and word order, such as 'they should about the family they love'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of complex structures and the frequency of errors in basic grammar limit the score. Focus on using a wider variety of sentence types and proofreading for basic punctuation and sentence boundaries.

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