Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-27

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)

It is widely acknowledged that the smoking leads to severe health problems like heart attack and cancer. While I agree that smoking poses significant risk to public health, I do not believe it should be made completely illegal.

The primary argument for banning smoking is the damage it causes to health. Smoking is a leading cause of lung cancer, respiratory illness and cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, second-hand smoke affects non-smokers, including children and the elderly, putting an additional burden on healthcare system. For these reasons, government has a responsibility to protect citizens by discouraging smoking through public health campaigns and strict regulation in public places. Countries like Australia have already reduced smoking rates significantly by introducing plain packaging and high taxes.

However, making smoking entirely illegal may not be an effective solution. Firstly, adults should have right to make personal choices about their own lifestyle, as long as they do not harm others. A total ban could also lead to rise in illegal trades and black markets. Similar to what happened to alcohol prohibition in the past. A better approach would be education and regulation. By raising awareness about the dangers of smoking and restricting advertising, government can reduce the consumption without infringing on personal freedom.

In conclusion, although I agree that smoking is extremely harmful and should be heavily controlled. I do not support making it illegal. A balance approach of regulation, taxation and public smoking ban is more practical and respecting individual choice while protecting public health. So in general, I agree that it is harmful but disagree with the idea of its being totally banned.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, clearly stating a position that acknowledges the dangers of smoking while arguing against a total ban. The ideas are relevant and well-supported with examples such as Australian public health policies and the historical context of alcohol prohibition. The position is consistent throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, the development of the counter-argument could be slightly more nuanced, perhaps by exploring the economic implications of a ban in greater depth, but overall, the task is addressed effectively and the main points are well-extended.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

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', 'However', and 'Firstly' are used effectively to link ideas. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the arguments for and against the prompt. Overall, the structure is clear and supports the development of the argument well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is sufficient and appropriate for the task. You demonstrate a good range of topic-specific language, such as 'respiratory illness', 'cardiovascular diseases', 'public health campaigns', and 'infringing on personal freedom'. There are occasional minor issues with word choice, such as 'the smoking leads to' (should be 'smoking leads to') and 'balance approach' (should be 'balanced approach'). However, these errors do not impede communication. The use of less common items is present, showing an awareness of style, which is consistent with a solid band 7 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. There is good control over grammar, though there are some persistent minor errors, such as missing articles ('the healthcare system', 'the government') and punctuation issues, specifically the sentence fragment in the conclusion: 'Although I agree that smoking is extremely harmful and should be heavily controlled. I do not support making it illegal.' Despite these slips, the majority of your sentences are error-free, and the meaning is always clear. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring consistent punctuation would help elevate this score.

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