Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-07

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)

It is often argued by some people that smoking can cause serious illnesses and should be banned. Although some might it cause dangerous diseases and can cause serious illnesses and should be made illegal with this notion, I completely agree with this statement. Not only beacuse smoking cause serious illnesses and dangerous diseases, but also because it also have bad impact on others health.

There are multiple benefits associated with this topic. Firstly, if the smoking banned the most people can live their lives better and can save themselves from serious diseases. As todays many people who smoke face diseases like asthma and TB. Take and example in India, in 2010 these serious diseases increased by 10 times due to smoking. Thus, this point proved that smoking have bad impact on human's life.

Secondly, It also leave a bad impact on the other who live with the smoker. Smoking much effect on non-smokers beacuse the smoker inhaling with filter and the non-smoker inhale that smoke without any filter. As when ever a non-smoker sit with a smoker person the non-smoker starts coughing. For instance, there is a survey conducted in Pakistan that mostly people smoke when they are in home and also with their friends so it leaves very bad impact on their families. Hence, this also proved that smoking cause serious illnesses and should be banned.

To sum up, I believe that smoking can cause serious illnesses and also leaves bad bad impact on others life so it should be banned to save lives and for humanity.

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. However, the development of ideas is limited. While the essay mentions health risks and the impact on non-smokers, the arguments are repetitive and lack depth. The examples provided, such as the reference to TB and asthma in India or the survey in Pakistan, are vague and lack specific context or logical connection to the argument for a total legal ban. The essay would benefit from exploring the practical implications of such a ban or addressing counter-arguments to achieve a higher band score.

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 inaccurate. For example, 'Thus, this point proved' and 'Hence, this also proved' are used repetitively to conclude paragraphs. Additionally, the transition between ideas is sometimes abrupt, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the second paragraph where the link between the survey and the conclusion is weak. Paragraphing is present but the internal flow of ideas needs more sophisticated linking words.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is limited and often repetitive. Phrases like 'serious illnesses', 'dangerous diseases', and 'bad impact' are used multiple times throughout the text. There are also errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'smoking much effect on non-smokers' instead of 'smoking has a significant effect'. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic message, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. To improve, you should focus on using synonyms and more academic collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the essay that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include 'if the smoking banned' (missing verb), 'smoking cause serious illnesses' (subject-verb agreement), and 'the smoker inhaling with filter' (incorrect verb form). The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar, such as verb tense and article usage, prevents the essay from reaching a higher band.

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