Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-07

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 5.5)

One of the most concerning topics over many decades is the consumption of cigarettes. Smoking has made a drastic impact on the health of all age groups. The consumption of this drug can cause serious health issues and should be banned by lawmakers at once. In the essay, I shall discuss the negative effects of having it and why it should be banned.

To start with, Puffing the leaves with high levels of nicotine will make people get addicted to it. In the long run, it is leading to severe damage to the lungs of the consumers and many people are also suffering from mouth cancers. For Example, we all are aware that smoking is the reason that has to be blamed for the increase in the number of mouth cancer cases. This daily feeding of harmful substances to the body is making the respiratory systems of humans weak.

Although it plays a prominent role in revenue generation for governing authorities, there is a peak need now to ban it all over. It is no longer the issue concerned with adults as many young children are also getting habituated to these bad habits and neglecting their studies which should be addressed on an immediate basis now.

Considering all the new effects these cigars can make on the health of consumers like lung damage, cancers and improper functioning of the respiratory system , the lawmakers should take strict and quick actions to make sure that these products are banned and should impose punishments if found to be consumed by any people.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of banning smoking. The ideas are relevant, focusing on health risks and the impact on youth. However, the development is somewhat limited. While the health risks are mentioned, the argument could be strengthened by exploring the economic or social implications of a ban more deeply. The essay follows a logical structure, but some points, such as the mention of 'revenue generation,' are introduced but not fully integrated into the argument for a ban. To reach a higher band, ensure that each supporting point is fully explained with more specific evidence or logical reasoning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. There is a logical progression from the introduction to the body paragraphs and the conclusion. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To start with,' 'Although,' and 'Considering all the,' which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the use of referencing could be more sophisticated. For instance, the link between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother to create a more cohesive flow of ideas. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and the central ideas are easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their position clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'drastic impact,' 'prominent role,' and 'habituated.' However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'Puffing the leaves' and 'daily feeding of harmful substances,' which sound unnatural in an academic context. Additionally, the term 'this drug' is a bit informal when referring to cigarettes. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoiding overly descriptive or informal phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the reason that has to be blamed for' (wordy/awkward), 'no longer the issue concerned with' (missing article), and 'if found to be consumed by any people' (clunky passive construction). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are some spacing issues before commas. While the meaning is always clear, the frequency of these minor errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Increasing the variety of complex structures while ensuring accuracy will help improve this score.

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