Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-19

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 5.0)

One of the major health problem that community deals with is lung cancer which is caused mainly by smoking. Over the years, the number of smokers increase and there are no legal actions taken to stop the quantity. This essay will highlight the affect of smoking products such as cigarettes, pod, and vapes on health and how it can be controlled.

Smoking is one the common issue that is debated all over the world. Male gender start consuming products like cigarette, or vapes from a very young age. At beginning, it is mostly done because in the influence of friendship or company however later it becomes an addiction, and difficult to quit. For example, I have a cousin who started smoking cigarette when he was in his teenage years. At first he used to do it for fun but it turned into his habit. Now he deals with health issues like lung infection, and coughing. These problems has also affected his working life as he is unable to perform well at work. Hence, smoking affects your overall life.

Moreover, there are no rules or laws structured for the consumption of such products. Most people do not have the awareness on the effects of smoking. The government should bring education campaigns and seminars on how to stop smoking in schools and different levels. It will help in mana

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies smoking as harmful and gives a relevant personal example: your cousin’s smoking is linked to coughing, lung infection, and difficulties at work. However, the central question is whether smoking should be made illegal, and this position is not clearly stated or developed. The essay instead shifts towards education campaigns and general control, without explaining whether these measures should replace a ban or accompany one. The discussion of health effects is also limited, and the final sentence is cut off, leaving the argument incomplete. The response is 23 words below the required minimum, which contributes to the limited development. State your degree of agreement directly, then support it with reasons and a clear conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a paragraph about addiction and personal consequences, and a paragraph proposing government action. Linking expressions such as “For example,” “Moreover,” and “Hence” help show relationships between points. However, progression is weakened because the essay does not consistently connect its discussion to the question of making smoking illegal. The introduction promises to explain how smoking “can be controlled,” but the argument does not clearly distinguish prohibition from education. Some references are also unclear, such as “It will help,” which could refer to campaigns, seminars, or both. The ending is incomplete, so the essay lacks a finished conclusion. Use a clear position and organise each paragraph around a distinct reason supporting it.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “lung cancer,” “addiction,” “health issues,” and “education campaigns,” and the personal example makes the meaning generally understandable. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “legal actions” and “consumption.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate, including “health problem,” “the affect of smoking,” and “Male gender.” Phrases such as “the quantity” do not clearly express the intended idea, and “pod” is imprecise in this context. These choices sometimes make the argument less clear. Build a more precise range for discussing legislation, public health, and tobacco use, and check collocations and word forms when editing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response includes both simple statements and some attempts at complex sentences, for example, “At first he used to do it for fun but it turned into his habit.” Meaning is usually recoverable, but errors occur frequently in agreement, articles, verb forms, and sentence construction. Examples include “One of the major health problem,” “the number of smokers increase,” and “These problems has also affected.” The sentence beginning “At beginning” also has an incomplete or faulty grammatical pattern, while the final sentence is unfinished. These recurring errors reduce accuracy and can make some relationships harder to follow. Practise checking subject–verb agreement and singular/plural forms, and revise each sentence for a complete, correctly formed clause.

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