Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-07

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)

Many individuals say that the best way to reduce smoking is to make it illegal in public places, while some people argue that other measures should be taken to tackle this issue. This essay will discuss both perspectives and mention why I believe make smoking illegal in public place is not enough and other measures are needed.

On the one hand, make smoking illegal in public places reduces the number of packets consume by the smokers. They only get time to smoke is in private places or at home. Therefore, a total number of cigarettes consumption is reduced. Eventually, people become habituated to reduce smoking. Moreover, banning smoking in public places reduces passive smoking by non-smokers. Larger number of people are affected by passive smoking in public places such as parks or stations. As make smoking illegal in public places reduce the inhalation of cigarette smoke by non-smokers can reduce health-related issues such as asthma or COPD.

On the other hand, people argue that banning smoking in public place is not enough, other steps should be taken by governments to tackle this problem. Increased taxes and prices of tobacco contained items can reduces the number of purchases. Another measure such as awareness campaign can helps smokers to understand the negative site of the smoking and how it's long-term use not only affect health but also to the family. Furthermore, government can advertise on different online platform to spread awareness to discourage smoking. For example, TV adds or holdings can help smokers to understand the effect and downside of smoking.

To conclude, although banning smoking in public places discourage smoking, I believe other steps such as increased taxes, awareness campaign or advertising can incresase more awareness and discourage smoking

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses both perspectives and provides a clear opinion in the introduction and conclusion. The ideas are relevant, such as the impact of public bans on passive smoking and the role of taxes and awareness campaigns. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat superficial. For instance, the argument regarding 'awareness campaigns' is mentioned but not fully explored with specific examples or logical depth. While the task is addressed, the supporting points could be more thoroughly elaborated to reach a higher band. The position is consistent throughout the essay, meeting the requirements of the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each with a distinct focus. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Moreover', and 'To conclude' are used to guide the reader through the argument. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical, and there are instances where the flow between sentences is slightly disjointed. For example, the transition between the benefits of banning smoking and the health impacts could be smoother. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is clear enough to follow without difficulty.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express ideas clearly. There are some attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'passive smoking', 'COPD', and 'awareness campaign'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'tobacco contained items' instead of 'tobacco products', 'negative site' instead of 'negative side', and 'TV adds' instead of 'TV ads'. These errors do not impede communication, but they indicate a limited control over more sophisticated collocations and precise terminology.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, particularly with subject-verb agreement and verb forms. Examples include 'make smoking illegal... reduces' (should be 'making'), 'packets consume' (should be 'consumed'), and 'campaign can helps' (should be 'help'). Additionally, there are issues with articles and pluralization, such as 'in public place' instead of 'in public places'. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band, as the control over complex structures is inconsistent.

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