Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-04

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)

Smoking is dangerous for our health moreover Smoking can cause serious health issues and ought to be made illegal. i completely agree with this notion and going to write further in following paragraphs.

the first and foremost thing is smoking is extremely detrimental for our health, it can cause numerous of serious heath problems like mouth cancer, can damage your lungs also risk of premature death etc. in addition it should be get banned or it ought to be illegal globally as numerous of teenagers are smoking in this modern era to look cool or under peer pressure it is only about teens smoking is done in every age and it should be illegal. for instance government should take some serious actions for this issue as government should give some kind of punishment or give some sort of fine if anybody smoke.

furthermore, the another vital reason why government should ban smoking is the bills of hospitals as if one get ill from a serious illness due to the habit of tobacoo the family have to pay the heavy amounts of bills of hospitals which can waste their money and savings moreover it is not sure that the person will keep alive or not.

in conclusion, i reinforce my view point that the government ought to be made completely ban or illegal to smoking as it can cause serious health issues moreover the risk of life in addition it wastes a lot of money in hospitals in case of some serious health problems.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The essay addresses the prompt by taking a clear position in favor of banning smoking. However, the development of ideas is limited. While you mention health risks and financial burdens on families, the arguments remain somewhat superficial and repetitive. For instance, the point about teenagers is introduced but not fully explored in relation to the broader argument of a total ban. To reach a higher band, you should provide more nuanced reasoning, perhaps discussing the feasibility of such a ban or the potential counter-arguments, such as personal freedom, to demonstrate a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive. Phrases like 'the first and foremost thing' and 'furthermore, the another vital reason' are used to link ideas, but the flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final paragraph where the sentence structure becomes convoluted. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would significantly enhance the logical progression of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on basic descriptors like 'serious' and 'bad' (implied), and there are some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'get banned' instead of 'be banned' and 'keep alive' instead of 'survive'. There is also a lack of topic-specific vocabulary related to public policy or health economics. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and collocations, and ensure you are using words in their correct grammatical context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede readability. Issues include run-on sentences, incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'it should be get banned'), and missing articles. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with many sentences lacking proper capitalization or ending with comma splices. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of these errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and sentence boundary punctuation will help improve your accuracy.

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

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