Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-06

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)

In the contemporary era, it has often been claimed that smoking should be banned owing to its detrimental effects on the overall health of people. I completely agree with the statement because smoking not only affects smokers, but it also impacts their family members and co-workers.

To begin with, there are several reasons why smoking should be made illegal. The primary reason is that it creates a significant burden on healthcare because of serious illnesses such as lung cancer and heart disease. People who smoke harmful products such as tobacco are more likely to suffer from such diseases. As a result, they need to be hospitalised to treat their illnesses. If smoking is banned, the number of people admitted to hospitals due to its harmful effects will decrease, and the same resources can be used to treat other patients. Consequently, making smoking illegal can reduce the pressure on healthcare systems.

Furthermore, smoking not only harms smokers, but it also affects the people around them, such as family members or colleagues. This is because people near them also breathe in second-hand smoke. For instance, if a person smokes in a house where children are present, the children will also be exposed to the smoke and its harmful effects. As a result, they may develop health problems despite not being smokers themselves. Therefore, the authorities should make smoking illegal to protect non-smokers.

In conclusion, imposing a ban on smoking can have various advantages for society. It will reduce the burden on healthcare systems and protect individuals who do not smoke from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt clearly. You have taken a firm position in the introduction and maintained it throughout the essay. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, particularly the point regarding the burden on healthcare systems and the impact of second-hand smoke on children. The arguments are logical and supported by clear reasoning. To reach a higher band, you could include a brief counter-argument or a more nuanced discussion about the feasibility of such a ban, which would demonstrate a more sophisticated level of critical thinking.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central topic sentence, such as 'To begin with, there are several reasons...' and 'Furthermore, smoking not only harms...'. Cohesive devices like 'consequently', 'for instance', and 'therefore' are used effectively to link ideas. The progression of arguments is smooth and easy to follow. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is coherent, ensuring the reader can easily track your line of reasoning from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'detrimental effects', 'hospitalised', and 'second-hand smoke' correctly. The language is natural and precise enough to convey your meaning without difficulty. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it lacks a wider variety of less common or more sophisticated lexical items that would push the score into the higher bands. To improve, try incorporating more academic collocations or topic-specific synonyms to show greater flexibility in your word choice.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You use conditional sentences ('If smoking is banned...') and relative clauses effectively. The grammar is generally accurate, with very few errors that impede communication. Punctuation is used correctly throughout. While your control is solid, the range of complex structures could be further expanded to include more varied subordinate clauses or passive constructions to demonstrate greater grammatical flexibility. Overall, the writing is clear, controlled, and error-free for the majority of the text.

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