Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-16

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 6.5)

It is often argued that smoking is widely recognised as a major cause of serious health conditions, including lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Although I strongly agree to this fact that smoking should be discourage. My stance on this view with example is discussed below.

The primary cause for restricting smoking is its detrimental impact on public health. Tobacco consumption increases risk of developing life-threatening illnesses, while exposure to second-hand smoke can also harm non-smokers. Consequently, government have a responsibility to protect the public by introducing stricter tobacco regulations. For instance, prohibiting smoking in public places, increasing taxes on tobacco products and restricting tobacco advertising could discourage people from smoking. Such measures would help reduce tobacco consumption without necessarily requiring a complete prohibition.

Another important consideration is that a total ban could create pratical difficulties. If tobacco products were made illegal, some smokers might turn to an unregulated black market, where products could be sold without appropriate safety controls. Futhermore, adults should generally have some freedom to make personal decisions, provided that their choices do not harm others. Rather than criminalising smokers, governments should invest in smoking cessation programmes, public awareness campaigns and accessible support services. These approaches could encourage smokers to quit while addressing the underlying causes of tobacco dependence.

In conclusion, although smoking poses a serious threat to individual and public health, I believe that strict regulation, combined with education and cessation support, is preferable to making it entirely illegal. This approach would protect society while respecting indvidual freedom.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Your position is clear throughout: you agree that smoking is harmful but argue against making it completely illegal. You address the central issue directly and support your view with relevant points about second-hand smoke, public regulation, black markets, personal freedom, and cessation support. The examples of public-place restrictions, taxation, and advertising controls make the argument concrete. This is a well-focused response with ideas generally extended and supported. To strengthen it further, develop one or two points with more specific explanation—for example, explain how a black market could undermine health protections, or give a concrete example of a cessation programme’s impact. The opening also says you agree smoking “should be discourage,” which briefly makes your position less precise before the later paragraphs clarify it.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organised effectively into an introduction, two body paragraphs presenting contrasting considerations, and a conclusion that restates your position. The progression from public-health reasons for regulation to the drawbacks of a total ban is easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Consequently,” “For instance,” “Furthermore,” and “In conclusion” help signal relationships between ideas. This shows clear overall organisation, though some connections are a little formulaic, and the opening’s “My stance on this view with example is discussed below” does not naturally guide the reader into the argument. To move towards more flexible cohesion, use transitions that express the precise relationship between claims and vary how you connect examples and explanations. The paragraphing is appropriate and supports the argument.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “detrimental impact,” “second-hand smoke,” “unregulated black market,” “criminalising,” and “smoking cessation programmes.” These choices communicate the argument clearly and show some awareness of more formal academic language. However, several word-choice or form errors reduce precision: “agree to this fact” is an unnatural collocation, “should be discourage” uses the wrong form, and “pratical,” “Futhermore,” and “indvidual” are spelling errors. “Tobacco consumption” is understandable, though “tobacco use” would sound more natural in this context. Aim to check spelling and collocations carefully, and choose phrases that express your position directly. The range is sufficient, but greater accuracy and naturalness would make it more flexible.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a subordinate clause in “Although I strongly agree…” and a conditional construction in “If tobacco products were made illegal…”. Most sentences remain understandable, and the argument is not disrupted. Some grammatical errors are present, however. The opening fragment beginning “Although” is not joined correctly to a main clause, and “government have a responsibility” has a subject–verb agreement error. In “increases risk,” the article is missing; “increases the risk” is needed. The phrase “provided that their choices do not harm others” shows more secure control of a complex structure. To improve, check clause completeness, agreement, and articles, while continuing to use varied sentence patterns.

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