Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

Smoking is a causative factor for multiple health diseases and health advocates propose that it should be completely banned. I strongly support this proposition because smoking both actively and passively is detrimental for the public.

Active smoking causes lung diseases and breathing difficulties, and releases harmful chemicals into the lungs which cause persistent cough, shortness of breath, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Additionally, 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 and puts them in vulnerable situations. 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 affects 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 become victim of the damaging effects of secondhand smoke.

However, some supporters of smoking maintain 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 people to quit. Nevertheless, the serious health effects of second hand smoke in public places cannot be justified by careless smokers.

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 7.5

You have clearly addressed the prompt by taking a strong, consistent position in favor of banning smoking. Your arguments regarding the health impacts on both the smoker and those exposed to secondhand smoke are well-developed and relevant. You also acknowledge the counter-argument regarding personal choice and manufacturer warnings, which adds depth to your response. To reach a higher band, ensure that your conclusion does not just summarize but reinforces your stance with a final, compelling thought. Overall, your ideas are well-supported with logical explanations, and you have fully addressed all parts of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a central theme, and you use cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Furthermore', and 'Nevertheless' to link your points effectively. The transition between the body paragraphs and the counter-argument is smooth. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is easy to follow. To improve, you could vary your cohesive devices slightly more to avoid a somewhat mechanical feel in the transition between sentences, but overall, the structure is very solid and supports your argument well.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using terms like 'causative factor', 'carcinogenic substances', 'predisposes', and 'curb'. This shows an ability to use less common lexical items with precision. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation that impede communication. While your vocabulary is sufficient and accurate, incorporating a few more sophisticated idiomatic expressions or nuanced collocations could elevate the essay further. You have successfully used topic-specific vocabulary related to health and public policy, which is appropriate for this task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

Your grammar is generally strong, with a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You use subordinate clauses effectively, such as 'While secondhand smoke causes very similar damage...' and 'Although the packaging of cigarettes warns users...'. Most of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation is good. There are very few minor slips, which do not interfere with the clarity of your writing. To achieve a higher band, you could experiment with a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as inversion or more advanced conditional forms, to demonstrate greater flexibility.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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