Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-17
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 5.0)
first of all smoking is indeed a serious cause for illness and it should be made illegel.
firstly smoking is one one the biggest reason for lung cancer and mouth cancer with is life-threatening. For example one of friend use to smoke a lot we tried to stop him but he was just too addicted to it he tried to quit but failed and after sometime he got diagnosed with lung cancer it was a really hard time for all of us he started the treatment but nothing worked. at the end he passed away. its not just the story of one person they are alot of pepol who wanna quit smoking what they cant just because they are addicted to it.
moreover there are so many illegal factories that make tabaco for exaple in india there are factories that use minor children to make it because they came with cheep labor and even those kids are addicted to it i have seen many teenagers smoke who are not even 15 but they smoke. its it really concering given they are the futurer of a nation. it is not just smoking that we need to worry about because smoking is just the start and it could lead to many other drugs if they are addicted.
lastly i would like to conclude it by saying that smoking can lead to many serios health issuse and it should br illegal.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position that smoking should be illegal. However, the essay fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While the personal anecdote about a friend is relevant, the second body paragraph regarding illegal factories and child labor is somewhat tangential to the core argument of whether smoking itself should be banned. The conclusion is also very brief and lacks a summary of the main points. To improve, you should expand your arguments with more balanced reasoning and ensure you meet the length requirement to allow for full development of your position.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices is very limited and often repetitive (e.g., 'firstly', 'moreover', 'lastly'). There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect ideas within and between sentences. For instance, the transition between the personal anecdote and the broader societal issue of illegal factories is abrupt. Paragraphing is present, but the structure within paragraphs is disjointed, making the flow of the argument feel mechanical rather than natural. Improving the variety of transition signals and ensuring each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, which limits the ability to convey complex ideas. There are frequent spelling errors such as 'illegel', 'tabaco', 'exaple', 'cheep', 'pepol', 'serios', and 'br'. These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader. The range of vocabulary is narrow, relying on simple descriptors like 'serious' and 'addicted'. To achieve a higher band, you need to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary, including less common lexical items, and pay closer attention to accurate spelling and word formation.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles (e.g., 'one of friend'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'use to smoke'), and punctuation issues, such as the lack of capital letters at the start of sentences and missing commas. The sentence construction is often fragmented, which hinders clarity. To improve, you must focus on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and consistent use of punctuation. Incorporating a mix of complex sentence structures, such as using relative clauses or conditional sentences, would also help demonstrate a better grammatical range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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