Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-01

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)

Smoking is a common habit in many countries, although it is well know that it can cause serious health problems. Some people believe that smoking should be completely banned by law. I largely agree with this view because smoking harms both smokers and people around them.

First of all, smoking can cause several serious illnesses. People who smoke regularly have a higher risk of developing diseases such as lung cancer, heart problems and breathing issues. In addition, smoking is so addictive, so if people start smoking at early age they can't able to quite smoking, they smoke for many years, while many people find it difficult to stop even when they understand the risks. For example, as per recent reports people are starting smoking at early age are at very high risk of blood cancer and heart related issues and day by day smoking ratio is increases between teenagers.

Another important reason for making smoking illegal is its effect on other people. Second-hand smoke can also be harmful, especially to children and elderly people. If smoking were banned in public places and gradually restricted in other area, non-smokers would be better protected. It could also discourage young people from starting this habit.

However, completely banning cigarettes could be difficult to enforce. Some people may buy tobacco illegally, which could create another social problem. Therefore, government could first introduce stricter laws, higher taxes on tobacco products and stronger public-awareness campaigns.

In conclusion, I agree that smoking should be restricted because it causes serious health problems and can affect other people. However, governments should combine legal restrictions with education and prevention rather than relying only on an immediate total ban.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task, presenting a clear position throughout the essay. The introduction outlines your stance that smoking should be banned, and you maintain this viewpoint while acknowledging counter-arguments, such as the difficulty of enforcement. The ideas presented are generally relevant, but some are more fully developed than others. For instance, your first body paragraph touches on serious illnesses like lung cancer and heart problems, but the progression becomes a bit repetitive when discussing addiction and teenagers. To move towards higher band levels, ensure that all main ideas are extended thoroughly with precise explanations and fully supported examples rather than relying on general statements.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear progression of ideas from the introduction through the body paragraphs to a well-structured conclusion. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the topic, such as health effects, secondary smoke, and enforcement challenges. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes a bit mechanical or repetitive, particularly in the transitions between sentences. For example, expressions like 'First of all' and 'Another important reason' are standard cohesive devices, but achieving a higher band would require a more flexible and varied use of logical connectors and referencing to link ideas more smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, successfully communicating your main points about smoking and public health. You attempt some less common vocabulary items, such as 'public-awareness campaigns' and 'second-hand smoke', which shows an awareness of style. However, there are notable word-choice errors and spelling mistakes that prevent a higher score. For instance, writing 'well know' instead of 'well known', 'quite smoking' instead of 'quit smoking', and using 'area' instead of the plural 'areas' demonstrate that while meaning is generally clear, precision and control over lexical items need improvement. Expanding your range of collocations and checking word forms carefully will help elevate your vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, allowing you to express various conditions and reasons, such as 'If smoking were banned in public places...'. However, there are noticeable errors in grammar and sentence structure throughout the text. Instances such as 'people are starting smoking at early age are at very high risk' contain missing relative pronouns or incorrect verb forms, and 'they can't able to quite smoking' exhibits structural awkwardness. Punctuation and article usage also need refinement. While these errors rarely impede communication, moving to a higher band requires a greater proportion of error-free sentences and tighter control over complex grammatical patterns.

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