Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-15

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 causative factor for multiple health diseases and that is why health advocates propose that it should be made banned. I strongly support this proposition because smoking both active and passive is detrimental for the public.

Active smoking causes lung diseases and breathing difficulties. Since, smoking releases harmful chemicals in the lungs which causes persistent cough and shortness of breath. Moreover, it may cause chronic bronchitis and emphysema which significantly deteriorates quality of life. Lastly, it increases risk of mouth, throat and lung cancer which are associated with poor survival rates. This is because it has carcinogenic substances and also weaken the immune system of the smokers. Although the packaging of cigarettes warn users of the harmful impacts, clearly it is not effective enough to motivate them to quit.

Another contributing factor is that even passive smoke is equally harmful to the surrounding people. While secondhand smoke causes very similar damage to the nearby people causing asthma and respiratory infections, it also predisposes the inhalers to risk of cancer.

Furthermore, smoking by pregnant women drastically afflict the unborn babies in their wombs as they toxic waste products travel to the fetus via maternal blood. For instance, in households where adults smoke, the innocent children might as well suffer from the damaging effects of secondhand smoke.

In conclusion, I completely agree that smoking should be made illegal not only to curb the harmful effects of active smoking but also to protect innocent people in the close proximities of the smokers who also suffer due to irresponsible smoking practices in their households or public areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have clearly stated your position in the introduction and maintained it throughout the essay. The response addresses the prompt by discussing the health risks of both active and passive smoking. The ideas are relevant and generally well-developed, particularly the points regarding the impact on children and the limitations of current warning labels. To reach a higher band, ensure that you fully explore the counter-argument or the implications of making smoking illegal (e.g., the feasibility of enforcement or personal freedom) to provide a more balanced and comprehensive discussion, as the prompt asks 'to what extent' you agree.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Lastly', and 'Furthermore' to link your ideas effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct arguments. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be improved by using more varied referencing. For example, the transition between the discussion of lung diseases and the mention of carcinogenic substances could be smoother to enhance the overall progression of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, including terms like 'causative factor', 'detrimental', 'carcinogenic', and 'proximities'. These words are used accurately and contribute to a formal tone. There are a few minor collocation issues, such as 'drastically afflict' (which is slightly unnatural) and 'made banned' (which should be 'banned' or 'made illegal'). Despite these minor slips, your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your ideas with precision and flexibility, showing a good awareness of academic style.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional 'in households where adults smoke' and the concessive 'Although the packaging...'. While the majority of your sentences are clear, there are some grammatical errors, such as 'smoking both active and passive is' (should be 'both active and passive smoking are') and 'which causes' (should be 'which cause' to agree with 'chemicals'). Additionally, 'Since, smoking releases' contains an unnecessary comma. These errors do not impede communication, but more consistent control over subject-verb agreement would elevate your score.

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