Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-11

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 6.5)

Many believe that smoking causes serious diseases and therefore it should be banned. This essay will explain why I agree this to be an effective solution.

People often take up the habit because of their social circle. Social smoking is very common, whenever people get together for lunch or dinner they also smoke in between as means of bonding together. Someone who does not smoke feels odd and may start to pick up on this habit whereas those who don't passively inhale the smoke which is equally damaging as smoking the cigarette. When a ban is placed on smoking, there will be a significant drop in the number of people smoking in the public. Consequently the people that took up this habit because of peer pressure would also decrease. Instead, people would look forward to better activities to bond together.

With the passage of time smoking will be less socially acceptable. Something that is widely banned is generally perceived quite negatively. Moreover, people will also come to realize of how nicotine addiction was adversely impacting their everyday life. No one delibrately wants to be addicted to any substance. People also look down on those who try to go the extra mile to obtain cigarettes because of their smoking addiction. Hence, the change in public attitude by enforcing a ban on smoking could prove to be a serious deterrent to the activity.

To sum up, the serious adverse affects brought on health are undeniable. Making the smoking illegal can prove to be an effective strategy to put a stop to this habit, forcing people to look for better activities.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The essay addresses the prompt clearly and maintains a consistent position throughout. You have identified two main arguments: the reduction of social pressure and the shift in public perception. While the ideas are relevant, they could be developed further with more specific examples or evidence. For instance, you mention 'better activities' but do not elaborate on what these might be. The conclusion effectively summarizes your stance. To reach a higher band, ensure that each point is fully extended with concrete illustrations rather than relying on general statements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'consequently', 'moreover', and 'hence', which help the flow of information. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the connection between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between the social aspect and the legal aspect could be more fluid. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'adversely impacting', 'deterrent', and 'socially acceptable'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'adverse affects' (should be 'effects') and 'delibrately' (spelling error). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, the range is somewhat limited, and some phrases are slightly repetitive. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring correct spelling of academic vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'I agree this to be an effective solution' (should be 'I agree that this is...') and 'the people that took up this habit' (should be 'who'). Punctuation is generally correct, but there are occasional slips. The majority of your sentences are understandable, but the frequency of minor errors prevents a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and refining complex sentence structures.

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

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