Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

It is believed that smoking poses a serious threat to our health, and therefore it should be declared illegal.

I totally agree with this perspective because smoking has negative impacts on our health, and it also poses a serious risk to the health of our loved ones. Along with this, it has a negative impact on one's socio-economic condition.

Once, smoking was regarded as a way to release stress. With the growing awareness, we have come to know how hazardous a smoking habit can be. Due to the latest advancements in the medical field, it has become evident that smoking not only damages the smoker but it simultaneously affects the passive smokers. Passive smoking involves all those people who do not directly smoke, but they inhale the smoke of cigarettes by being in the smoking community. It slowly kills humans by damaging lungs. People who indulge in smoking do not realize its impact on their health until they witness the physical symptoms.

The negative effects of smoking are not limited to health. It also impacts our social and economic conditions. As members of civilized society, it is our utmost responsibility to take care of others and contribute to the good of the whole society. In contrast, smokers don't pay much attention to this moral responsibility. Most of the time, smokers don't take into account that their smoking habit can pose a serious health issue for the other people around them, like elderly people, children, or patients with asthma. Such kind of negligence can create problems for others.

On the other hand, sometimes people get involved in smoking just because of peer pressure. As smoking is considered a sign of modernism, people just want to conform to this trend and push themselves into the unhealthy habit of smoking. Smokers who belong to the average class don't consider their financial situation, and this habit can burden their socio-economic state.

By taking into account the above-mentioned factors, it is evident that smoking is a mere leisure activity that has serious consequences. Therefore, to prevent these problems, smoking should be banned.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear from the introduction to the conclusion: you agree that smoking should be illegal, and you give relevant reasons involving health, passive smoking, social responsibility and personal finances. The explanation of how non-smokers, including children and people with asthma, may be affected is particularly relevant. This covers the task, but some points are asserted rather than fully explained. For example, the claim that smoking harms smokers’ “socio-economic condition” is not supported with a specific explanation of how costs affect individuals or society. The peer-pressure point is also introduced briefly without showing how it strengthens the case for prohibition. Develop these ideas with a concrete example or clearer reasoning, and address why making smoking illegal is preferable to other measures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction states your view, body paragraphs present reasons, and the conclusion restates your position. Paragraphs generally focus on distinct themes, and transitions such as “On the other hand” and “By taking into account” help signal movement between ideas. However, the progression is not always fully smooth. “On the other hand” suggests a counterargument, but the paragraph mainly adds another reason against smoking, so the relationship is unclear. Some links are also mechanical, with repeated references to “smoking” and “negative impact.” Make the relationship between each paragraph and your argument more explicit, and use referencing or varied transitions to connect ideas without relying on formulaic signposting.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of topic-related vocabulary, including “passive smokers,” “peer pressure,” “conform,” and “socio-economic,” which helps communicate the main ideas. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “utmost responsibility” and “medical field.” However, some word choices and collocations are awkward or imprecise, including “smoking community,” “sign of modernism,” and “burden their socio-economic state.” “A mere leisure activity” also understates the seriousness of the habit and does not fit your argument well. Repetition of “negative impact” and “serious” limits flexibility. Aim for more natural collocations and precise terms, such as describing second-hand smoke exposure or the financial cost of tobacco, while keeping the language direct.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses in “because smoking has negative impacts…” and the contrast structure “not only damages the smoker but it simultaneously affects…” Most sentences are understandable, and grammatical errors rarely obstruct your meaning. Some constructions are less controlled, however. In “Passive smoking involves all those people,” the definition is awkwardly structured; a clearer form would be “Passive smoking occurs when people who do not smoke inhale cigarette smoke.” The sentence beginning “As members of civilized society” also shifts from a general claim to “smokers” without a fully clear connection. Review sentence construction and pronoun reference, and vary complex structures while maintaining clear relationships between clauses.

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