Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-10

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)

In modern times, the issue of banning smoking has become highly controversial. There are those who say that smoking should be made illegal because it causes serious illnesses. However, other people believe that they should not. From my perspective, I largely agree with banning smoking and this essay will explain why.

The primary reason for my agreement is that it causes serious health problems. This is because smoking can lead to diseases such as lung cancer and heart disease. Moreover, passive smoking can also affect non-smokers. Therefore, making smoking illegal could protect people's health and reduce the number of smoking-related illnesses.

Another reason for my agreement is that banning smoking could create a healthier society. If cigarettes were illegal, young people would find it more difficult to start this habit. In addition, public places would have cleaner air, which would benefit both smokers and non-smokers. As a result, governments could also spend less money treating smoking-related diseases.

In conclusion, I strongly agree that smoking should be made illegal because it causes serious health problems and also affects non-smokers. Moreover, banning cigarettes could help create a healthier society and reduce smoking-related diseases.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt and maintains a clear position throughout. However, the essay is significantly under the 250-word minimum requirement, which severely limits the depth of the arguments. While the main points regarding health risks and societal benefits are relevant, they are not sufficiently developed or supported with specific examples or detailed analysis. The ideas remain at a general level, and the lack of length prevents a full exploration of the topic, which is a requirement for higher bands.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Therefore', and 'In addition' are used appropriately to link sentences. However, because the essay is quite short, the overall structure feels somewhat underdeveloped. The paragraphing is sufficient, but the transitions between ideas could be more sophisticated to improve the flow and coherence of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task and allows the writer to express their ideas clearly. There is some repetition of basic terms like 'serious illnesses' and 'smoking-related'. While the range is sufficient to communicate the message, there is a lack of less common or more precise lexical items that would demonstrate a higher level of control. The word choice is generally accurate, but it does not show the flexibility or sophistication required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are grammatically correct, and there are no significant errors that impede communication. However, the range of structures is somewhat limited, and the writing lacks the variety of complex grammatical forms that would be expected at a higher level. Punctuation is generally accurate, and the writing is clear, but the overall grammatical complexity is relatively basic.

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

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