Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-25

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 who smoke cigarettes and other tobacco products have been found to have multiple life-threatening dieseases, such as both lung, and thyroid cancer, which is the reason many argue that smoking should be banned. while I agree with this statement to an extent, I believe relying solely on this approach would not be very beneficial, and regulating tobacco products, or taxing them more heavily would be more effective in dealing with this issue.

If smoking is banned than it would create an unregulated black market for various nicotine products. Moreover, counterfeit cigarette brands will occupy the market, which can be quite dangerous for smokers because these products would be made without adhering to regulations set up by the governemnt. As a result, many people can suffer from health risks. For instance, smoking was made illegal in my union council, after that many local producers started making cigarettes themselves, leading to an increased number of people suffering from food poisoning. Because the tobacco used in these products was not properly aged. So, instead of banning smoking outright, government should instead regulate it.

Putting more taxes on nicotine products can discourage the people from buying them, as the taxes would drive up the prices. If the products become more expensive, then the buyers would use these products scarcely. For example, in the year 2020, Government of Pakistan placed huge taxes on cigarettes, as a result sales of these products were reduced by many folds. Effective taxing policy can deal with the smoking problem more efficiently than just making it illegal.

In conclusion, I believe outlawing smoking can introduce new problems; instead governments should take an active part in regulating sale of nicotine products(supply), or tax these products to reduce the overall demand.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The candidate addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing the health risks of smoking and presenting a clear position that total prohibition is less effective than taxation and regulation. The viewpoint is maintained throughout the response. Ideas are extended and supported with relevant arguments and examples, such as the mention of black markets and the example from Pakistan in 2020. However, there is a minor logical slip in the body paragraph where a local union council ban supposedly led to 'food poisoning' due to improperly aged tobacco, which slightly weakens the support. Nevertheless, the main task requirements are thoroughly covered, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay presents a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct central topic, starting with an introduction of the issue and the writer's stance, followed by body paragraphs focusing on regulation versus black markets, and taxation respectively. Cohesive devices are used effectively, such as 'Moreover', 'As a result', and 'In conclusion'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to separate ideas. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional mechanical transitions keep the response at a solid Band 7 level rather than higher.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision, employing terms such as 'life-threatening diseases', 'unregulated black market', and 'counterfeit cigarette brands'. Less common items are attempted with some awareness of style, though there are a few spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'dieseases' instead of 'diseases', 'governemnt' instead of 'government', and using 'food poisoning' when referring to the effects of poor tobacco. These errors do not impede communication, placing the vocabulary firmly in the Band 6.5 to 7 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing conditionals and relative clauses effectively (e.g., 'If smoking is banned than it would create an unregulated black market...'). There are, however, several grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text, including capitalization issues ('while I agree'), spelling ('governemnt'), and minor punctuation slips like comma splices or fragment sentences ('So, instead of banning smoking outright...'). Despite these recurring slips, the majority of sentences are understandable, and communication is never severely impeded, justifying a Band 6.0.

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