Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-29

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 7.5)

Smoking is widely recognised as a major cause of serious diseases, including lung cancer and heart disease. Although I agree that smoking is extremely harmful and should be strictly controlled, I do not believe that making it completely illegal would be the most effective solution.

There are strong reasons to restrict smoking. First, it not only harms smokers themselves but also affects people around them through passive smoking. Children and other non-smokers may be exposed to dangerous chemicals even though they have chosen not to smoke. In addition, smoking-related illnesses place a considerable burden on healthcare systems because governments must spend large amounts of money treating preventable diseases. For these reasons, measures such as banning smoking in public places, increasing tobacco taxes and displaying health warnings on cigarette packets are justified.

However, a total ban on smoking could create other problems. If cigarettes became illegal, a black market could develop, making tobacco products more difficult to regulate. It could also lead to illegal sales and increased criminal activity. Furthermore, adults generally have the right to make personal choices, even when those choices involve health risks, provided that they do not harm others. Therefore, education and regulation may be more practical than prohibition.

A better approach would be for governments to reduce smoking gradually. They could raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco, increase prices, restrict advertising and provide free support for people who want to quit. Such policies could reduce smoking rates without creating the negative consequences associated with a complete ban.

In conclusion, while I strongly agree that smoking is dangerous and should be heavily restricted, I do not think it should be made entirely illegal. Strict regulation, public education and support for quitting are likely to be more effective in the long term.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The student fully addresses all parts of the task by clearly stating a nuanced position from the beginning and maintaining it throughout the essay. The prompt asks to what extent smoking should be made illegal, and the writer agrees it is dangerous and needs restriction, but argues against a total ban. Ideas are well developed and extended, such as discussing the emergence of a black market and personal freedom in the third paragraph, and offering constructive policy alternatives in the fourth paragraph. The response meets all task requirements effectively with relevant examples and clear arguments, easily earning a Band 8.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a clear logical progression from introduction to arguments for restriction, arguments against a total ban, alternative solutions, and a concise conclusion. Paragraphing is used logically, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct sub-topic. Cohesive devices such as "First", "In addition", "However", and "Furthermore" are managed well and guide the reader smoothly through the writer's argumentation without feeling mechanical. Overall, the structural flow is coherent and natural, matching the Band 7.0 descriptors.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary with good flexibility and precision, incorporating less common lexical items such as "preventable diseases", "black market", "prohibition", and "consequences". Word choice is generally accurate and appropriate for an academic context, with proper collocations throughout (e.g., "burden on healthcare systems", "personal choices"). Although there is no heavy reliance on highly sophisticated idioms or rare academic terminology, the vocabulary effectively serves the communicative purpose with virtually no spelling or word-choice errors, justifying a solid Band 7.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

The writer uses a wide variety of complex sentence structures, including conditional clauses ("If cigarettes became illegal..."), concessive clauses ("Although I agree that..."), and relative clauses. The majority of sentences are completely error-free, and grammatical control is strong throughout the entire response. Punctuation is accurate, and punctuation errors are absent. The occasional minor slip is fully tolerated at this level, and the complex grammar is handled with high accuracy, earning a well-deserved Band 8.0.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.