Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-03

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)

Nowadays, Smoking is becoming so common habit among people. Despite of being injurious to health, many people are having it as they are just having food like every other day. According to some Non-smoking people, the best way to discourage smoking is to make it illegal in public areas. But others think that this may not be enough to eliminate completely. We have to think of some other measures that are required. So, I will be talking about my views on both and give my opinion with the reasons and will also give some relevant examples from my knowledge.

Firstly, I completely agree on discouraging smoking from public places. Government can make smoking zone areas separately so that smokers can go there and do it. As smoking publicly is very harmful for the people who do not smoke but are standing next to them because it is equivalent to passive smoking. For instance, there was a mother with a child standing at the bus stop and a person standing next to them was smoking, so the child suddenly got uncomfortable with a little cough. So that person immediately dropped his cigarette when the mother asked him to do so. In this case, the child also got the bad influence and also affected by the passive smoking.

On the other hand, this may not be the only measure which can be taken, others are required too. Government can also increase the prices for the smoke and can even ban it completely so that there is zero availability in the market. This will help them to discourage smoke and also prevent any health issues caused by smoke.

In the conclusion, these measures will surely prevent smoking illegal in public places and also help in discouraging people not to smoke. Government should increase the prices so that more people can not buy it

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 somewhat limited. While you mention that banning smoking in public is good and that other measures are needed, the arguments lack depth. For instance, the example of the mother and child is anecdotal and does not fully explore the broader societal implications of public smoking bans. The second body paragraph suggests price increases and total bans, but these points are not sufficiently expanded upon to reach a higher band. To improve, ensure each main idea is supported by a clear explanation or a more analytical example.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is a clear introduction and conclusion. You use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'On the other hand', and 'In the conclusion' to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final sentence where 'it' is used ambiguously. The transition between the personal anecdote and the broader argument could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks sophistication. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'smoking' and 'measures'. There are also some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'having it as they are just having food' and 'increase the prices for the smoke'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the range of vocabulary. To achieve a higher score, try to use more precise collocations and a wider range of topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'public health initiatives', 'deterrents', or 'tobacco consumption'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'Despite of being injurious' (should be 'Despite being'), 'Smoking is becoming so common habit' (missing article), and 'more people can not buy it' (awkward phrasing). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are errors in capitalization and sentence structure. While the meaning is usually clear, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. Focus on mastering basic sentence construction and subject-verb agreement to improve accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.