Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-07-24

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Smoking can cause serious illnesses and should be made illegal.

To what extent do you agree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 7.0)

Smoking is a common habit in many countries. It can cause many serious health problems, such as lung cancer and heart disease. Some people believe that smoking should be made illegal because it is harmful. I partly agree with this opinion.

On the one hand, smoking is dangerous not only for smokers but also for people around them. Second-hand smoke can affect children, elderly people, and non-smokers. It also increases healthcare costs because governments spend a lot of money treating diseases caused by smoking. If smoking were illegal, fewer people might start this unhealthy habit, especially young people.

On the other hand, making smoking completely illegal may not be the best solution. Adults should have the freedom to make their own choices, even if those choices are unhealthy. In addition, banning smoking could create illegal markets where cigarettes are sold without control. Instead of a complete ban, governments can increase taxes on cigarettes, ban smoking in public places, and educate people about the dangers of smoking.

In my opinion, smoking is very harmful, but it should not be completely illegal. Strong laws to reduce smoking and public education are better ways to protect people's health while respecting individual freedom.

In conclusion, although smoking causes serious illnesses, I believe that making it illegal is not the best answer. Governments should focus on stricter rules and health education to reduce smoking.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the essay is 21 words under the 250-word minimum, which limits the depth of the arguments. While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat brief and could have been extended with more specific examples or detailed explanations to fully satisfy the requirements of the task. The position is consistent, but the development of the arguments is slightly constrained by the length.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the two sides of the argument. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the logic. The progression of ideas is logical and easy to follow, though the brevity of the response prevents a more sophisticated flow between points.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication. You use some topic-specific terms like 'second-hand smoke', 'healthcare costs', and 'illegal markets'. However, the range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and relies on fairly common phrases. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate more precise or academic collocations to express your ideas with greater nuance and sophistication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The grammar is generally accurate, and you demonstrate a good control of sentence structures. You successfully use conditional sentences ('If smoking were illegal, fewer people might start...') and complex structures. There are very few errors, and those present do not impede communication. The writing is clear and easy to read, showing a good level of grammatical control, though the range of structures could be expanded further to demonstrate more complexity.

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