Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-27

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)

Many people believe that the best way to stop smoking is to make it illegal in public places, but few people think that this is not enough to stop smoking other ways are required. And I support the latter one because make smoking illegal in public places is not an only way to stop it.

One the one hand, people say that the best way to stop smoking is to make it illegal. That's true that making smoking illegal in public places discourage smoking such as people avoid doing smoking in public areas due to afraid of fines and penalties. There are also some chances that after that they can avoid doing smoking.

In my opinion, on the other hand me and some other people think that this is not enough to stop smoking that make it illegal in public places. Because if smoking becomes illegal in public places, they are started doing smoking at home which is also not good because their children always stay home and after seeing them doing smoking is also a bad effect on children. Apart from that we also have to take other steps that spreading awareness how dangerous it is for health and also make it illegal everywhere and government take strict actions towards the people who are selling the smoking things and who are doing smoking. I would like to share one example from my back home country, at one time government make that rule whoever is taking drugs and selling drugs they are arrested and punished for 5 years and there is huge difference between the number of people taking drugs.

In conclusion, making smoking illegal in public places is discouraging people to doing it but it's not good enough to permanently stop it that's why other methods such as spreading awareness and taking strict actions are also very helpful to stop this

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both views and provides a clear personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that banning smoking in public is not enough, the explanation regarding the impact on children at home is a good point, but the transition to the example about drug laws is slightly abrupt and lacks a clear connection to the specific topic of smoking. The argument could be strengthened by providing more specific, relevant examples related to smoking cessation programs or taxation. Overall, the response covers all parts of the task, but the depth of analysis is inconsistent, placing it at the lower end of the band 6 range.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the phrase 'on the other hand' is used awkwardly, and some sentences are linked with simple conjunctions like 'and' or 'because' in a way that creates run-on sentences. The progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by these structural issues. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'in contrast') and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that guides the reader through your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. You rely heavily on basic terms like 'stop smoking' and 'doing smoking' (which is grammatically incorrect). There is an attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'fines', 'penalties', and 'awareness', but the range is limited. To reach a higher band, you should avoid repeating the same phrases and try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and academic vocabulary. For example, instead of 'doing smoking', use 'consuming tobacco' or 'engaging in smoking habits'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You frequently make errors with verb forms, such as 'they are started doing smoking' instead of 'they start smoking' and 'government make that rule' instead of 'the government made that rule'. Punctuation is also problematic, with several run-on sentences that lack proper clause separation. While the meaning is generally clear, these frequent errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. Focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage.

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