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 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 into the lungs which cause persistent cough and shortness of breath. Moreover, it may cause chronic bronchitis and emphysema which significantly deteriorate quality of life. Lastly, it increases the risk of mouth, throat and lung cancer which are associated with poor survival rates. This is because it contains carcinogenic substances and also weakens the immune system of the smokers.

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 the risk of cancer. Furthermore, smoking by pregnant women affect unborn babies in their wombs as the 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.

However, some supporters of smoking maintains that smoking is purely an elective decision and most of the product manufacturers display significant warnings to inform users of potential risks. Although the packaging of cigarettes warns users of the harmful impacts, clearly it is not effective enough to motivate them to quit.

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 proximity 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

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position in favor of banning smoking. The arguments regarding health risks for both active and passive smokers are relevant and well-supported with specific examples, such as the mention of chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and the impact on unborn children. The counter-argument is acknowledged, though it could have been developed with more depth to fully explore the 'extent' of the agreement. Overall, the ideas are logically extended and the position remains consistent throughout the essay, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between the health impacts of active smoking and the dangers of passive smoke is smooth. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', and 'In conclusion' are used effectively to guide the reader. While the structure is sound, the flow could be slightly more sophisticated to reach a higher band. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the relationship between ideas is clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient and generally precise, demonstrating an ability to use topic-specific terminology such as 'causative factor', 'carcinogenic substances', and 'predisposes'. There is an attempt to use less common items, which is successful for the most part. However, there are minor collocation issues, such as 'smoking both active and passive' which would be more natural as 'both active and passive smoking'. Despite these minor slips, the range is adequate to convey complex ideas clearly and with some flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There is good control over grammar, though some errors persist. For example, the sentence 'Since smoking releases harmful chemicals...' is a fragment, and 'some supporters of smoking maintains' contains a subject-verb agreement error. Despite these occasional inaccuracies, the meaning is never obscured, and the punctuation is generally handled well. The variety of structures is sufficient to support the arguments effectively, justifying a Band 6.5.

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