Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-29

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)

It is said by some that to prevent smoking publicly to make it illegal is the most effective way, while others argue that banning in public spots is not enough and other solutions are required. I believe health awareness and prohibit advertising regarding smoking are more efficient measures that require to be implemented.

On the one side, there is no doubt that smoking is very dangerous to health. If a government is supporting to make it illegal in public places then there are less chances that people would stop smoking. This is because smoking gives an instant stimulation and those who are addicted will not stop smoking. Nicotine, for example, is an addictive substance that is using in smoking for instant satisfaction. consequently, if a government add restrictions on smoking then there are higher chances that people would follow these laws until they not gave proper knowledge about a detrimental impacts of smoking on their health. I believe prohibiting smoking on public places is not quite enough.

On the other hand, if a government provides health awareness campaigns that would be more beneficial because people are not fully aware of the harmful consequences of smoking. Most areas in India, for example, the number of deaths are increasing because of smoking. As smoking addiction is directly effects on kidneys and then lunges cancer or respiratory diseases are the top most likely diseases are happened to smokers. Secondly, many famous personalities like actors are likely to advertise themselves on smoking brands for money and when these advertised items are showing on TVs or on social media, people who following them back are likely to consume after seeing their advertisement. As a result the numbers are increasing. I believe public authorities should prohibit these advertisements first.

In conclusion, although ban smoking publicly is not only the solution, government should introduce awareness campaigns generally and should ban those advertisements first, which promote smoking on the screen. I believe prohibiting people from smoking could be effective when people should aware themselves.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the effectiveness of banning smoking in public and the need for additional measures. You clearly state your position in the introduction and maintain it throughout. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While you provide reasons for your opinion, some arguments, such as the mention of 'kidneys' and 'lunges cancer' (lung cancer), are slightly underdeveloped or contain factual inaccuracies regarding the direct physiological effects of smoking. To reach a higher band, ensure that your supporting examples are more precise and logically connected to the main argument. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, but the depth of analysis could be improved.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'On the one side', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' to signal the structure. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where referencing is unclear, such as 'people who following them back are likely to consume after seeing their advertisement'. The use of cohesive devices is sufficient to guide the reader, but the transitions between ideas could be more sophisticated and natural to achieve a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'detrimental impacts', 'addictive substance', and 'health awareness campaigns'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'prohibit advertising regarding smoking' (instead of 'prohibiting smoking advertisements') and 'lunges cancer'. Additionally, some phrasing is repetitive or slightly unnatural, such as 'people who following them back'. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, you need to focus on more precise word choices and standard collocations to move beyond the current level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow, such as 'if a government is supporting to make it illegal... there are less chances' (should be 'fewer chances') and 'until they not gave proper knowledge' (should be 'until they are given'). Subject-verb agreement and verb tense consistency are also problematic in places, for example, 'smoking addiction is directly effects on kidneys'. These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points. Increasing your control over complex structures will improve your score.

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

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