Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-16

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)

Discouraging people from smoking has always been a debatable issue these days. While some people think that prohibiting smoking in public areas is sufficient for stopping people from smoking, others believe that stricter actions should be taken to do so. in this essay, I will discuss both views and give my opinion in the end. I also believe that there should be more than just prohibiting it in public areas.

on the one hand, when smoking is not permitted in some places such as restaurants, public transportation, schools, colleges and event halls; people not only reduce the consumption of cigarettes because of the inconvenience caused to them as they have to leave the property for smoking but also save other people from the harms of smoke they blow out from their cigarettes. This helps other people alot those who do not smoke to stay comfortable. for example a study done by harvard university in 2018 concludes that after implementing this rule in a park, the was a 20 percent less consumption of cigarettes by people in the same timeframe if they would have been at home.

on the other hand, i think it is no doubt effective that it reduces the consumption of cigarettes if we ban them publicly, but I believe that there should be more effective ways to encourage people to get out from the trap of smoke. firstly , the government should implement a lot more taxes such as 100 perent or 200 percent taxes on these types of products like tobacco, cigars and cigarettes, if they really want their citizens of their country to quit smoke as soon as possible. moreover, government should run campaigns for their citizens to influence them to bring a smoke-free world. for example, there has been a drastic decrease in number of young smokers in gran canaria spain since they have increased the sales tax on these kind of producs by 48 percent and makes it less affordable. these type of actions definitely could bring a big change in the world.

in the end, i believe that it is hard to take these types of actions for government but everything is doable. The government and citizens should work together to make it achievable.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt. You clearly discuss both views and provide a personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of public health and economic measures like taxation. However, the development is somewhat uneven. While the first body paragraph is well-supported, the second paragraph relies on a specific example from Gran Canaria that feels slightly anecdotal. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are consistently extended with more analytical depth rather than just listing examples. Your position is clear throughout the essay, which is a strength.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'on the one hand', 'on the other hand', and 'moreover' to guide the reader. However, the use of punctuation is inconsistent, particularly with capitalization at the start of sentences (e.g., 'on the one hand', 'for example'). Additionally, some transitions feel a bit mechanical. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring consistent paragraphing will help elevate this score. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the lack of attention to basic mechanics occasionally disrupts the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'consumption', 'inconvenience', 'drastic decrease', and 'affordable'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'get out from the trap of smoke' (which should be 'break free from the habit of smoking') and 'quit smoke' (should be 'quit smoking'). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, the spelling errors (e.g., 'perent', 'producs') and the lack of capitalization for proper nouns like 'Harvard' and 'Spain' detract from the overall quality. Focus on precision and proofreading to improve.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional 'if they really want their citizens... to quit'. However, there are frequent errors in punctuation and capitalization that are distracting. For instance, the lack of capitalization at the start of sentences and the misuse of commas (e.g., 'for example a study') are recurring issues. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on sentence boundary control and ensuring that complex structures are punctuated correctly.

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

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