Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-08-31

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 6.0)

People smoking cigarettes or things which contain very high dose of tobacco can cause serious health issues which cause lung infection and this should be made into an illegal act.

Cigarette smoking not only endangers the smokers but also harms the health of the non smoker people through exposure to the smoke which is released by the smokers. If tobacco products were declared illegal, governments could significantly reduce medical expenses associated with treating smoking related illnesses. Governments now can try to spread awareness about smoking through disclaimer advertisements also they can continue raising taxes on tobacco to make it less available in the market and also expanding more non smoking zones in most of the public places in major cities.

Relatively, enforcing an absolute prohibition on smoking could lead to severe economic and social consequences, such as the emergence of lucrative black markets. Furthermore, because smoking remains a legal personal choice for adults, revoking this right entirely could be viewed as a direct control over an individual's freedom. Such a heavy handed ban would likely trigger strong public backlash rather than voluntary compliance with government authority. Consequently, a total ban might cause more harm than good, proving far less effective than regulatory measures like strict taxation, public space bans, and targeted educational campaigns. Government should also enforce an absolute ban on smoking which has a high impact on the society and could create illegal black markets.

In conclusion, although smoking causes serious illnesses and requires strict state intervention, making it completely illegal is unrealistic. A combination of high taxation, public bans, and education offers a far more effective long-term solution.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, presenting a clear position that while smoking is harmful, an outright ban is impractical. The arguments are relevant and well-developed, particularly the discussion on economic consequences and individual freedom. However, there is a significant contradiction in the third paragraph where you state, 'Government should also enforce an absolute ban on smoking,' which directly opposes your earlier stance and the conclusion. This inconsistency slightly weakens the overall clarity of your position. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments remain consistent throughout the essay to avoid confusing the reader regarding your final verdict.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore,' 'Consequently,' and 'In conclusion' effectively to guide the reader through your argument. The progression of ideas is generally smooth, moving from the health risks to the practical limitations of a ban. However, the internal cohesion of the third paragraph is undermined by the contradictory final sentence mentioned previously. Improving the logical flow between sentences and ensuring that every point supports the central thesis will help achieve a higher score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with some precision. Phrases like 'lucrative black markets,' 'voluntary compliance,' and 'targeted educational campaigns' are used appropriately and add sophistication to your writing. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'things which contain very high dose of tobacco' (which is slightly informal and imprecise) and 'non smoker people' (which should be 'non-smokers'). Overall, the vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication of your ideas, though more variety in academic collocations would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional sentence in the second paragraph ('If tobacco products were declared illegal, governments could...'). While many sentences are error-free, there are some grammatical slips, such as 'People smoking... can cause' (a dangling modifier) and 'non smoker people' (missing hyphen). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are occasional lapses in sentence construction. The grammar is sufficient to convey meaning without difficulty, but to move into the 7.0+ range, you should aim for more consistent control over complex structures and fewer minor errors.

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