Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · IELTS Academic Practice Accelerator · 2026-10-31

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 has been a topic that triggered too many opinions in our society. Some persons believe that is a personal choice, weither it causes serious illnesses or not, if the person agrees on it, it should not be a societal problem. Meanwhile, we see many health associations appeal for the restriction of smoking, calling it a bad habit that should be made illegal.

Being a healthcare person myself, I totally agree with the demands of people who want to make smoking illegal. Firstly, it does not only harm the smoker but also his surrounders who become negative smokers without giving their consent. Studies have shown that smoking causes more harm to negative smokers than to actual smokers. Therefore, as a society, we should protect those persons and make smoking illegal once for all. Secondly, even if the smoker accepts the harm and serious illnesses due to smoking habits, we should consider the medico-economic aspect of this problem. Many persons claim that is a personal choice, but in reality, the cost of medical acts goes straight to the government, and gets payed from taxes that other citizens would pay to make our country become better. Therefore, it can no longer be considered as personal choice, but in fact a choice that all the society members will pay its cost. Not only the possibility of getting affected by serious illnesses without giving any consent, but also having to pay for the financial cost of it.

In conclusion, we would not agree more but to make smoking illegal, for the interest of the smokers themselves and for the good of the whole society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear throughout: you strongly support making smoking illegal, and you give two relevant reasons—harm to people exposed to second-hand smoke and the public cost of treatment. The healthcare perspective also helps establish why you hold this view. These points address the question, but they are not equally developed: the claim that second-hand smoke causes “more harm” is not explained or supported with a specific example, and the economic argument assumes that medical costs are paid by the government without considering other systems or counterarguments. The conclusion restates your position effectively. To strengthen the response, explain the evidence or reasoning behind each claim and briefly acknowledge why some people regard smoking as a matter of personal choice before showing why you disagree.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction presents the debate, the main paragraph gives two reasons, and the conclusion confirms your position. Sequencing words such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Therefore” make the argument easy to follow. However, the main paragraph contains several ideas in one block, and the final sentence beginning “Not only the possibility…” is a fragment rather than a complete concluding point. Some linking is also mechanical, with “Therefore” repeated, while “Meanwhile” does not clearly show the relationship between the two views. For stronger progression, separate the two supporting reasons into distinct paragraphs, use more precise links between claims and explanations, and ensure each sentence completes its thought.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some topic-relevant vocabulary, including “serious illnesses,” “restriction,” “consent,” and “medico-economic aspect,” which helps communicate the argument. However, several noticeable word-choice, collocation, and spelling problems make the expression less natural: “surrounders,” “negative smokers,” “medical acts,” and “payed” are not appropriate in these contexts. Phrases such as “triggered too many opinions” and “we would not agree more but to” also sound awkward. The meaning is generally recoverable, but the range and control are uneven. Build a more precise set of topic collocations—for example, terms for second-hand smoke, healthcare costs, and public policy—and check spelling and word forms before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including complex clauses with “even if,” “but also,” and “without giving their consent.” This shows some range, and the main argument is usually understandable. However, errors in sentence construction and grammatical patterns remain noticeable. For example, “Some persons believe that is a personal choice” is missing a subject after “that,” while “the cost … gets payed from taxes that other citizens would pay” has an unclear and faulty clause structure. The sentence beginning “Not only the possibility…” is incomplete, and “we would not agree more but to make” is not a well-formed construction. Work on complete clauses, parallel structures, and accurate verb patterns; then proofread long sentences by checking that each has a clear subject and main verb.

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