Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-09-30

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 can lead to severe health hazard and it should be banned completly by the government. I completly agree with the statement. In this essay i am going to elabrote and discuss about the same

Cigarette smoking remains one of the most pervasive and destructive public health crises of the modern era. Despite decades of intense awareness campaigns and aggressive regulatory restrictions, tobacco use continues to claim millions of lives worldwide each year. The true danger of smoking lies not just in its highly addictive nature, but in its absolute, systemic destruction of the human body. Far from being a localized habit that merely affects the lungs, smoking introduces a toxic cocktail of chemicals that aggressively damages nearly every organ, compromises the immune system, and fundamentally alters cellular DNA.

To understand the scope of this damage, one must first examine the immediate chemical assault that occurs with a single puff of smoke. Tobacco smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, including hundreds that are highly toxic and at least 70 known carcinogens such as formaldehyde, benzene, and arsenic. When inhaled, these toxins immediately enter the bloodstream through the lungs. The respiratory system bears the initial brunt of this assault. Over time, the chemical irritation paralyzes the cilia—microscopic, hair-like structures responsible for sweeping out mucus and debris from the airways. Without functioning cilia, the lungs lose their ability to self-clean, leading to the chronic inflammation, tissue destruction, and severe airway blockages characteristic of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and emphysema.

Beyond the lungs, the cardiovascular system suffers immense, often irreversible damage. Nicotine, the highly addictive chemical in tobacco, acts as a powerful stimulant that spikes blood pressure and accelerates the heart rate. Simultaneously, carbon monoxide from the smoke binds to hemoglobin in the blood, drastically reducing the amount of oxygen delivered to vital organs. This dangerous combination damages the delicate inner lining of the arteries, accelerating the buildup of fatty plaques in a process known as atherosclerosis. As the arteries narrow and blood platelets become stickier due to toxic exposure, the risk of blood clots skyrockets, directly leading to high rates of heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral artery disease.

Perhaps the most insidious effect of smoking occurs at the cellular level. The carcinogens found in tobacco smoke do not just kill cells; they mutate them. These toxins systematically attack and damage the DNA strands responsible for regulating healthy cell growth. At the same time, the chemicals impair the body's natural immune mechanisms designed to destroy abnormal cells. This double-failure creates a perfect environment for malignancy. While lung cancer is the most widely recognized outcome, smoking is a primary driver behind at least 16 different types of cancer, including malignancies of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, and pancreas. It alters the body's genetic blueprints, turning normal cellular replication into a countdown toward disease.

The consequences of smoking also extend far beyond the smoker. Secondhand smoke represents a severe, involuntary health hazard for families, coworkers, and communities. Non-smokers who are regularly exposed to environmental tobacco smoke inhale the same carcinogens and toxic gases as active smokers. This passive exposure accounts for tens of thousands of deaths annually from heart disease and lung cancer, while severely compromising the health of developing children by triggering severe asthma attacks, respiratory infections, and increasing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

In conclusion, cigarette smoking is a comprehensive assault on human physiology. It dismantles the respiratory system, ravages the heart and blood vessels, mutates cellular DNA, and endangers innocent bystanders through environmental exposure. The health complications are not isolated risks but a interconnected web of systemic decline. Recognizing the full depth of this destruction underscores the critical importance of robust public health policies, accessible cessation resources, and aggressive prevention strategies to eliminate tobacco addiction and protect future generations.

If you would like to refine this essay, let me know:

• The required length or word count

• The specific academic level (e.g., high school, university)

• Any particular angles you want to emphasize (such as the history of tobacco marketing, economic impacts, or the science of nicotine addiction)

I can adapt the tone and structure to meet your exact guidelines.

AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The candidate presents a very clear, fully developed position that agrees strongly with the prompt, arguing that smoking should be banned due to its severe health consequences. The main body paragraphs provide deep, extensive elaboration focusing on physiological damage, respiratory impacts, cardiovascular effects, cellular mutations, and secondhand smoke. However, despite the depth and quality of the arguments, the essay's opening introductory section contains a brief typo ('completly' and 'elabrote') and an introductory paragraph that is somewhat brief relative to the extensive body. Crucially, the student's text concludes prematurely with AI chat assistant text ('If you would like to refine this essay...'), which detracts slightly from formal task completion. Nevertheless, the central position is well maintained, supporting the arguments effectively throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a clear overall progression and logical organization. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from a general overview of the health crisis to specific physiological breakdowns such as the respiratory system, cardiovascular system, cellular mutations, and secondhand smoke. Cohesive devices are used effectively and naturally, such as 'To understand the scope of this damage', 'Beyond the lungs', and 'Perhaps the most insidious effect'. Paragraphing is handled logically, ensuring each major argument is neatly separated. However, referencing is occasionally repetitive, and the sudden inclusion of the conversational AI footer at the very end creates a structural disruption in overall flow. Overall, the logical progression is clear and maintained throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 8.0

The student displays a wide, fluent, and flexible range of vocabulary, skilfully utilizing sophisticated terms and medical/scientific collocations such as 'pervasive and destructive public health crises', 'systemic destruction', 'microscopic, hair-like structures', 'cardiovascular system', 'atherosclerosis', and 'malignancy'. While there are a couple of spelling errors in the opening lines (e.g., 'completly' instead of completely, 'elabrote' instead of elaborate), the vast majority of the vocabulary is deployed with high precision and natural control. Less common lexical items are handled very well, allowing the student to articulate complex medical concepts clearly and effectively without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

The writing exhibits a wide range of complex grammatical structures used with a high degree of accuracy and control. Examples include participial phrases ('leading to the chronic inflammation', 'turning normal cellular replication into a countdown'), conditional and relative clauses, and multi-clause compound-complex sentences. The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is handled correctly throughout the substantive body of the essay. Minor typos in the short introductory section (e.g., lowercase 'i' in 'In this essay i am going') represent rare lapses rather than a systemic weakness. The control of grammar and syntax easily supports a high band score.

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