OPINION>>>PERSONAL VIEWPOINT QUESTION:

Smoking is injurious to health, and hence it should be banned immediately. To what extent you agree or disagree? Why?

EXPLANATION:

This is an opinion>>>personal viewpoint question. Here, there is a statement part and a question part. Smoking is injurious to the health of people. For this reason, it should be made illegal with immediate effect.
The question part asks you to make your opinion marked in the liker scale; from 0 to 100%. This is what they mean by ‘to what extent do you agree/disagree’.

THE ESSAY FORMAT:

There should be an introduction, body paragraph/paragraphs, and a conclusion. In the introduction, you should present the statement/topic. This should be different from the statement part in the essay question, but you should make sure that the meaning would not change. Avoid giving definitions and informative statements. No idioms or quotations are recommended to introduce a topic. Just stick to the topic.

ONE GOOD RESPONSE:

It is hard to deny the fact that the health of an individual in any modern society is at huge risk with the soaring number of smokers, and so the authorities across the world are facing immense pressure from many corners to put an end to this grave issue immediately. However, I think, there are certain factors to be considered prior to bringing in any legislation to wipe out this social evil.

The predominant factor of concern is the health of a habitual smoker. If an immediate ban is imposed on smoking, these addicts are exposed to a range of mild to severe health issues, both physically and mentally. This can be as simple as a mild and persistent headache to mental depression and suicide. As there exist a considerable proportion of such people in many societies, a sudden cessation on smoking can put the lives of these people in a potentially dangerous situation.

Another area of concern is the loss of employment for those who work in the related industries and marketing fields. To be precise, job security is at risk for millions of people ranging from a skilled employee in a tobacco company, for example, to the strong marketing chain, which sponsors many international events. It is a big question for any government whether or not to destabilize this workforce and find them sorts of rehabilitation.

The third area of concern is the huge revenue loss, which can devastate some economies in the world. Most of the governments have imposed exorbitant taxes on tobacco products, and this revenue is channeled to undertake many infrastructural developments, ranging from the construction of roads and bridges to a nuclear power plant. An immediate ban on smoking alters this progress and in certain cases, the economy may face a total collapse.

However, one should see the catastrophe smoking results in the society, both to the smoker and to the people in his radius and this may force any government to ban smoking at some point of time in future.

In conclusion, prior to the ban, authorities should ensure the health of the smoker; prevent job cuts and revenue loss. Hence I recommend the ban on smoking a gradual and systematic process.

NOTE:

This is a model answer which contains more than 300 words. However, in the real exam, you are recommended to write between 250 -300 words.
In this response, the candidate disagrees to the statement, but she did not state it directly in the thesis statement. However, she has made her stand clearer in the conclusion by stating that she recommends a gradual and systematic ban. So, in the liker scale, she holds a higher level of disapproval.

NOW LETS SEE ANOTHER RESPONSE:

A proposal of imposing an immediate ban on smoking is gaining popularity owing to the adverse health hazards it possesses. Albeit there are some personal and economic concerns, I too think in the same way.

The one and only reason why I think that the ban should be spontaneous is that I believe health is the most precious asset a man has. To be precise, these days, an exorbitant sum of money is been spent on treating patients with ailments which stemmed from the habit of smoking. Many of them suffer to the extreme and some are terminally ill. They often fall into depression and some even think of committing suicide. If they would not have smoked, this would not have happened to them.

Loss of productiveness is another issue which arises from the physiologically and psychologically incapable ‘smoking addicts. To be clear, many habitual smokers, at their very young age, exhibit diminished psycho-motor activities, which gradually bring down their productivity. This happens gradually, and when they realize the fact that they are in trouble, most of them would have faced disciplinary actions or even termination at work. Eventually they suffer economical crises too.

By contrast, there are health and economic concerns for the individuals when an immediate ban is imposed. Habitual smokers often suffer from withdrawal symptoms which can be serious in nature. When the employees have to face employment loss, governments, on the other hand face huge revenue loss. However, I believe a stable and determined government can withstand these issues.

To conclude, though there are some adverse effects which affect both the individuals and the governments, I think one should definitely give priority to his health. Therefore, an immediate ban is strongly recommended.

Note: Here, the writer agrees to the statement. He admits that there are concerns, but considering the most vital asset: the health, he strongly recommends an immediate ban.