Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-14

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 6.5)

It is often argued whether baning smoking in public area is the most effective way to reduce its prevalence.

On the one hand, making smoking illegal in public places is a powerful deterrent. Firstly, it protects non smokers from the harmful effects of passive smoking. when smoking is prohibited in parks, restaurants, and workplaces, people are less exposed to second hand smoke, which improves public health. Secondly, such bans make smoking less convenient and socially acceptable. if smokers have to leave a building or walk for to find a designated smoking zone, they may smoke fewer cigarettes during the day. Smoking bans in all indoor places have reduced smoking rates.

On the other hand, legislation alone is insufficient because it does not address the root cause od addiction. many people smoke due to nicotine dependence, stress, or peer pressure, and they will continue to smoke at home or private. Therefore, other measures are essential. The government should increase taxes on tobacco products to make them unaffordable, especially for young people. Furthermore, public awareness campaigns showing the health risks of smoking, graphic warnings on cigarette packs, and free cessation programs and counselling can be highly effective. Education in schools about the dangers of smoking can also prevent teenagers from starting in the first place.

In my opinion, although banning smoking in public is a necessary first step, it should be combined with financial, educational, and medical support measures. Only a multi pronged strategy can discourage existing smokers and prevent new ones.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt well, discussing both views on banning smoking in public places and offering a clear personal opinion. The student effectively covers the deterrent effect of public smoking bans, such as protecting non-smokers and reducing convenience, while also evaluating additional measures like taxation and educational campaigns. The position is maintained throughout the essay. Ideas are extended and supported, although some points, such as the mention of smoking rates in indoor places, could have been elaborated further. Overall, the task is successfully fulfilled, meeting the Band 7 standards by addressing all parts of the task with a clear position and well-supported ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay displays a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, the two body paragraphs discussing opposing views, and the conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'Secondly', and 'Furthermore' are employed to guide the reader through the argument. However, cohesion occasionally feels slightly mechanical, and referencing could be smoother in places. Furthermore, there are minor punctuation and capitalisation oversights at the start of sentences (e.g., 'when smoking', 'if smokers', 'many people'), which slightly detract from overall flow, keeping the coherence score at a solid Band 6.5 or 7.0 range.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terminology such as 'deterrent', 'passive smoking', 'second hand smoke', 'nicotine dependence', and 'cessation programs'. There are some attempts at less common lexical items, although occasional spelling and word-choice errors occur, such as 'baning' instead of 'banning', 'public area' instead of 'public areas', and 'od' instead of 'of'. Additionally, the phrase 'at home or private' should be 'at home or in private'. Despite these minor inaccuracies, communication is never impeded, and the vocabulary remains sufficient to earn a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay utilises a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating the ability to construct conditional and multi-clause sentences (e.g., 'if smokers have to leave a building or walk for to find a designated smoking zone, they may smoke fewer cigarettes'). There are, however, several grammatical and punctuation errors present, including lowercase letters at the beginning of sentences ('when smoking', 'if smokers', 'many people'), a missing preposition in 'walk for to find', and a typo in 'multi pronged' (should be hyphenated). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the essay from reaching a higher band, perfectly aligning with the descriptors for Band 6.0.

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