Smoking not only harms the smoker, but also those who are nearby. Therefore, smoking should be banned in public places. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
Medical studies have shown that smoking not only leads to health problems for the smoker, but also for people close by. ConsequentlyAs a result of this, many believe that smoking should not be allowed in public places. Although there are arguments on both sides, I strongly agree that a ban is the most appropriate responsethe most appropriate course of action.
Opponents of such a ban argue against it for several reasons. Firstly, they say that non-smokers make the choicepassive smokers make the choice to breathe in other people’s smoke by going to places where it is allowed. If they preferIf they would prefer not to inhale second-hand smokesmoke passively, then they do not need to visit places where smoking is permitted. In addition, they believe a ban would possibly drive many bars and pubs out of business as smokers would no longer go therewould not go there anymore. They also argue that it isThey also argue it is a matter of freedom of choice. Smoking is not against the law, so individuals should have the freedom to smoke where they wish.
However, there are more convincing arguments in favour of a ban. First and foremost, it has been proven that tobacco containstobacco consists of carcinogenic compounds which can seriously harm both smokers and people nearbywhich cause serious harm to a person’s health, not only the smoker. Anyone around them can develop cancers of the lungs, mouth and throat, and elsewhere in the bodyand other sites in the body. It is simply not fair to expose another person to this riskimpose this upon another person. It is also the case that people’s health is more important than businesses. In any case, pubs and restaurants could adapt to a ban by, for example, providing designated smoking areasallowing smoking areas.
In conclusion, it is clear that it should be made illegal to smoke in public places. This would improve the health of thousands of people, and that is most definitely a positive development.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response presents a clear, consistent position and supports it through a well-organised comparison of opposing arguments, with particularly effective explanation of the health case for a ban. Its main limitation is that some supporting claims are asserted rather than fully evidenced, and a few expressions lack precision. The highest-priority improvement is to develop the rebuttal with a more specific example or explanation of how a public ban would work in practice.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response fully addresses the question with a clear position, relevant counterarguments, and well-developed reasons supporting a ban.
Strengthen the rebuttal further by adding a specific illustration of the public-health or business impact of such a ban.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through a clear introduction, opposing view, supporting case, and concise conclusion, with cohesive devices used effectively.
Make the transition from the opposing case to its rebuttal slightly more explicit so the argumentative relationship is even sharper.
Lexical Resource
A wide and generally precise vocabulary conveys the argument effectively, including appropriate topic-specific language such as “carcinogenic compounds.”
Refine a few slightly awkward expressions, especially references such as “not only the smoker,” to achieve greater precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A broad range of complex sentence structures is used accurately, with only occasional minor lapses that do not affect clarity.
Polish the few compressed or incomplete comparative structures to maintain consistently precise grammatical relationships.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Smoking not only harms the smoker, but also those who are nearby. Therefore, smoking should be banned in public places. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.