Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-15

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 6.5)

An increasing number of population is showing concern about the dangers of smoking. Various steps are being taken to discourage this habit. However it is always a matter of debate whether to ban smoking solely in public areas or take further steps to prohibit this are enough. I opine that a mixture of strategies will work better to tackle the issue.

On the one hand, making smoking entirely banned in public is first point that comes to mind to stop it completely. For instance, if there is a complete ban on smoking in public, the smokers will be left no choice of place to do so which eventually force them to quit this habit. consequently, the absence of public smoking permission will act as very strong and effective method to eliminate this issue.

On the other hand, it is also proposed that solely the prohibition is not enough but it should be accompanied by other rules as well. For example, there should be a governmental support for those who want to quit. Other alternatives or anti-smoking medical smoking substances need to be provided free of cost. Moreover, giving a reward can help too. Smokers should get some kind of rewards like financial aids to encourage quitting smoking. As a result, it will work as a motivation to decrease the number of smokers and will make them feel motivated to take this decision of quitting.

I believe that smoking needs to be targeted by all the measurements together, because these steps will make people quit by heart not by the fear of breaking the law. Thus it will be more beneficial and work for a long run.

Although, the laws against smoking must be introduced yet this is not the only solution. The public support matters as well. People will feel valued if given rewards and recognition for coming out of the deadly habit. I think the combination of all the rules is the best solution to discourage smoking and is more sustainable.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both views and providing a clear opinion. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, such as the suggestion for governmental support and financial aid. However, some arguments could be more thoroughly extended; for instance, the explanation of how a public ban would 'force' smokers to quit is a bit simplistic. The position is consistent throughout the essay, and the conclusion effectively synthesizes the arguments. To reach a higher band, ensure that the reasoning behind the 'mixture of strategies' is explored with more depth and nuance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two viewpoints. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Moreover' are used to guide the reader. However, there are some instances where the flow is slightly mechanical, and some transitions could be more sophisticated. For example, the phrase 'consequently, the absence of public smoking permission' is a bit clunky. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, such as 'prohibit', 'sustainable', and 'financial aids'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'medical smoking substances' and 'targeted by all the measurements'. These do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of the argument. Expanding the range of collocations and using more precise terminology would help elevate the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'An increasing number of population' (should be 'the population'), 'making smoking entirely banned' (should be 'banning smoking entirely'), and 'Although, the laws... yet this is not' (incorrect use of conjunctions). These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding the message. To improve, the writer should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct usage of complex sentence connectors.

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

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