Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-02

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 8.5)

While the severe health risks associated with tobacco consumption are undisputed, prohibiting smoking entirely presents significant practical and economic challenges. I largely agree that smoking causes life-threatening conditions and requires strict control; however, I believe a complete ban is unrealistic, and tighter regulation combined with public education is a more effective approach.

On the one hand, there are compelling reasons to support the criminalization of smoking due to its profound impacts on public health. Tobacco smoke contains thousands of harmful chemicals that cause fatal illnesses, including lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and chronic respiratory disorders. Furthermore, secondhand smoke poses a severe risk to non-smokers, particularly children and service workers who are exposed against their will. Beyond individual suffering, the medical treatment of smoking-related illnesses places an immense financial burden on public healthcare systems. Outlawing smoking would theoretically eliminate these preventable medical costs and significantly increase overall life expectancy.

On the other hand, implementing a total ban on smoking faces major practical hurdles and could lead to unintended negative consequences. History has shown that prohibiting popular addictive substances often fails to eliminate demand; instead, it tends to drive the trade underground, creating black markets controlled by criminal syndicates. Furthermore, governments rely heavily on tobacco excise taxes to fund public services, and tobacco farming and manufacturing provide millions of jobs worldwide. A sudden, complete ban would cause severe economic disruption and loss of tax revenue while making quality control and law enforcement nearly impossible.

Rather than an outright prohibition, governments should adopt a strategy of progressive restriction and education. Measures such as imposing heavy taxation on tobacco products, restricting smoking in all enclosed public areas, enforcing plain packaging laws, and raising the legal purchasing age have already proven successful in reducing smoking rates in many developed nations. Combining these policies with accessible smoking cessation support and educational campaigns discourages new smokers without creating a clandestine market.

In conclusion, although the devastating health consequences of smoking justify aggressive government intervention, a total legal prohibition is impractical and potentially counterproductive. The most effective path forward is to strictly regulate tobacco, tax it heavily, and continuously educate the public on its dangers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.5

Your response is exceptionally well-developed, covering all parts of the task with a fully justified, nuanced position. In the introduction, you clearly state your perspective—that while smoking causes severe issues, a complete ban is unrealistic and better managed through regulation and education. You then dedicate body paragraphs to thoroughly exploring both sides of the argument. You examine the compelling reasons for criminalisation, such as fatal illnesses like lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and the economic burden on public healthcare systems. Conversely, you thoughtfully present the counterarguments, detailing practical hurdles like black markets and the economic fallout of sudden prohibition. Your ideas are logically extended and supported with relevant explanations and examples throughout, achieving a high standard of task response without any omissions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

Your essay demonstrates a clear, logical progression from introduction to body paragraphs and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices are managed skilfully and naturally, guiding the reader effortlessly through your arguments. Phrases such as "On the one hand," "Furthermore," and "On the other hand" structure the contrasting viewpoints smoothly. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct central theme—the health case for a ban, the practical and economic obstacles to a ban, and the proposed alternative strategy of progressive restriction. Referencing and substitution are handled fluidly, meaning that cohesion never feels mechanical or intrusive, contributing to an overall seamless reading experience.

Lexical Resource: Band 8.5

You exhibit a wide, fluent, and flexible range of vocabulary, skilfully integrating uncommon lexical items that elevate the academic tone of your essay. Terms such as "prohibiting," "criminalization," "secondhand smoke," "clandestine market," and "progressive restriction" are used with a high degree of precision and natural collocation. Word choice is consistently appropriate, and your control over less common vocabulary allows you to convey complex ideas with nuance. There are no noticeable inaccuracies in spelling, word formation, or collocation, reflecting a sophisticated command of English appropriate for top-tier academic writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.5

Your writing displays a wide range of complex sentence structures used with a high degree of flexibility and accuracy. The majority of your sentences are entirely error-free, featuring sophisticated subordination, participial phrases, and conditional or concessive clauses, as seen in structures like "While the severe health risks associated with tobacco consumption are undisputed..." and "Measures such as imposing heavy taxation on tobacco products... have already proven successful...." Control of verb tenses, agreements, articles, and prepositions inside grammatical patterns is excellent. Punctuation is handled precisely to manage complex phrasing, with only very occasional, negligible slips that do not detract from the overall high quality of the prose.

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