Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-30

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)

Smoking is injurious to health. A large number of individuals claim that banning smoking in public places is the best solution to prevent smoking, nevertheless others believe that there should be other solutions to overcome this issue. I strongly agree with the latter view as government should introduce more strict policies to discourage smoke.

On one hand, the most prominent point is that by smoking being illegal in public areas will allow people less options of areas to smoke. To elaborate on it, people who are addicted to smoke everytime as well as everywhere will be mindful of not smoking on social areas which will help to reduce their smoking habbits at a major level. For example, teenagers will not smoke at school campus, adults will stop smoking in public parks and so on. Moreover, if people will not smoke on the public sites then it will help to reduce the number of times they are smoking currently which can pave a path for helping them to quit smoking slowly as they will not get to smoke for long hours which can withdraw their interest from smoking.

On the other hand, it should not be forgetten that by banning smoking in public areas can take years to reduce the number of smokers that is why there should be more stricter solutions which can lead to reduce smoking at a fast phase. To state an example, government can introduce a policy to limit the number of cigarettes a person can buy in a month, not only this will help to reduce smoke consumption widely but fastly also. Additionally, not everybody will obey the rule to not to smoke in the society so the best practice can be to educate individuals on how badly smoke can affect the human body.

In conclusion, although both viewpoints have their own significance, I wholeheartedly feel more inclined towards the second idea that more effective measures are needed to decrease consumption of smoking.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on banning public smoking and introducing alternative measures, while also presenting a clear overall position in agreement with the latter view. Ideas are extended and supported, such as when the student argues that banning smoking in public limits availability and provides examples regarding teenagers and adults. However, some arguments tend to over-generalise or remain slightly repetitive, particularly in the expansion of body paragraph one and two. The position is maintained consistently from the introduction through to the conclusion, fulfilling the primary requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7, comfortably landing at a Band 6.0 due to some under-development of supporting details and slight repetition in the line of argument.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, dividing the introduction, two body paragraphs, and the conclusion appropriately. Cohesive devices are employed to signal transitions, such as 'On one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or slightly faulty, as seen in phrases like 'by smoking being illegal in public areas will allow people less options', which disrupts the flow of the sentence. Referencing is generally clear, but transitional connections occasionally feel forced rather than natural, leading to a Band 6 rating for this criterion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'prominent point', 'consumption', and 'significance'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices throughout the text, including 'habbit' (habit), 'fast phase' (fast pace), 'smoke' used as a noun where 'smoking' or 'cigarettes' is intended, and 'withdraw their interest'. These vocabulary errors do not impede overall communication, but they restrict the lexical score to a Band 6, as the range of vocabulary is sufficient yet imprecise in places.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordination and relative clauses. Nevertheless, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'by smoking being illegal... will allow', 'government should introduce more strict policies', 'it should not be forgetten', and 'rule to not to smoke'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but structural inaccuracies in complex clauses prevent the writer from achieving a higher band. These errors occasionally cause the reader to pause, though they rarely impede overall comprehension, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.

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