Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-11-05

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 people belive that smoking should be made illegal, because it does harm and sometimes causes irreversible diseases, such as cancer or hearth disease. I partially agree, that making it illegal could reduce the use of cigarettes or vapes and through that reduce serious illnesses. However, I believe that it cannot be changed only by changing the law.

It is widely known that banning the use of cigarettes or vapes can bring heaps of benefits. Total ban would help to prevent children and young adults from starting smoking. In addition, it majorly would help with healthcare costs, because the costs of treatments are not cheap. Another thing why people think that it should be made illegal is that it causes addiction, and to get rid of this addiction is not easy. From this perspective, making smoking illegal would be a very smart move.

On the other hand, some belive that banning could create a black market situation. When it is not regulated anymore, noone knows tobacco or vapes really contain. Furthermore, governements would lose a lot of taxpayers money. In addition, it is very difficult to change people's habits, when smoking has been around a really long time. To change someones habits can take several years. I believe that there could be several other actions that governements can take, like campaigns and educating people on negative effects, higher prices or advertising bans. Combination of different aspects could be more effective than total ban.

In conclusion, while the health consequences are serious, it would be difficult to enforce the complete ban. Making smoking illegal can encourage black market and underground activity more. In my view, goverenment should discourage smoking and combine diffrenent methods to reduce the use of tobacco and vapes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear from the introduction: you partially agree that prohibition could reduce smoking, but argue that legislation alone is insufficient. You address both the potential benefits of a ban—protecting young people, reducing healthcare costs and limiting addiction—and the risks, including an illegal market and lost tax revenue. The conclusion also returns to your view and proposes alternative measures. These points are relevant and give the response a clear answer to the question. To develop the argument further, explain the links between claims and outcomes more fully: for example, how a ban might prevent young people from starting, or why education and higher prices would work better than prohibition. Some points, such as the effect on healthcare costs, are asserted rather than supported with an example or explanation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised into a clear introduction, two contrasting body paragraphs and a conclusion, and the ideas progress logically from reasons for a ban to objections and alternatives. Signposting such as “On the other hand” and “In conclusion” helps readers follow the argument, while “In addition” and “Furthermore” connect supporting points. This clear overall progression is effective. At times, however, the linking feels list-like: several claims are introduced one after another without showing how they relate, particularly in the paragraph beginning “It is widely known.” Strengthen cohesion by grouping related points and adding brief explanations or references that connect each example to your main position. This would make the argument flow more naturally rather than relying mainly on explicit transition phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “irreversible diseases,” “black market,” “healthcare costs,” “addiction” and “underground activity.” These choices make the main ideas clear, and you attempt more specific expressions such as “advertising bans.” However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or informal, including “heaps of benefits,” “it majorly would help,” and “taxpayers money.” Spelling errors such as “belive,” “governement” and “diffrenent” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more natural academic phrasing and check spelling carefully. For instance, “substantial benefits” is more suitable than “heaps of benefits,” and “government tax revenue” is clearer than “taxpayers money.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a conditional structure in “When it is not regulated anymore…” and a subordinate clause in “because the costs of treatments are not cheap.” Most sentences remain understandable, and the errors do not generally prevent the reader from following your argument. Some grammatical problems persist, however. In “I partially agree, that…,” the comma incorrectly separates the verb from its clause; “I partially agree that…” is correct. “Total ban would help” needs an article (“A total ban”), and “it is very difficult to change people's habits, when…” has an unnecessary comma. Review articles, punctuation around subordinate clauses, and sentence patterns. More consistently accurate complex sentences would improve control.

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