Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-01

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many countries today, crime novels and TV crime dramas are becoming more and more popular. Why do you think these books and TV shows are popular? What is your opinion of crime fiction and TV crime dramas?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 7.5)

Crime novels and TV dramas are gaining popularity around the globe. In the last few years, there has been a spike in the demand of such TV programmes and books. This essay will elucidate the driving factors of this trend and I applaud the efforts being done to bring this transition.

To commence with, the reason behind the phenomenon of increasing popularity of crime books and shows is, they have a nail-biting story. To expound, since crime genre is associated with thrill and adrenaline rush, they are scripted in such a way to push viewers to guess what will happen next. As a result, audience enjoy more of such content and they are becoming significantly popular. To exemplify, in 2022, an experiment was conducted in the Netflix headquarters in California. 84% of people choose crime thriller genre as their preference, while only 72% people chose romance and 79% comedy. The majority choose the crime and thriller content because those shows were able to maintain their interest level.

To address the second question, the trend of watching crime shows or reading a crime novel is a positive development. The contributing factor is, it mentally prepares the audience for dealing with crime incidents. Since crime thriller genre is a preference for myriad people, they learn few aspects which can be helpful in difficult situations. They visualize, different types of crimes and how actors deal with them. Not only they become more aware in crime detection but also learn to deal with it patiently. For instance, a survey conducted by the Delhi Public School, in 2024. 94% of the students had crime thrillers as there genre preference along with funny relatable content. When asked about the reasons for their genre taste, majority of them accepted that it helped them in learning about umpteen types of scandals and fraud techniques active in the society.

To recapitulate, this essay has clearly discussed that crime novels and TV dramas are gaining popularity because of their addictive and thrilling content. I reiterate this is a positive development as it teaches about the different kinds of scams in the market and how to safeguard themselves.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, providing reasons for the popularity of crime fiction and a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant and supported by examples, although the examples provided (such as the Netflix headquarters experiment) appear fabricated or lack specific context, which is a common issue in IELTS writing. To improve, ensure that examples are more realistic or grounded in general knowledge. The position is consistent throughout, and the essay maintains a clear focus on the topic, meeting the requirements for a Band 7 score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'To commence with', 'As a result', and 'To recapitulate', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical or repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentence structures could be more fluid to improve the overall flow. The structure is effective and supports the development of the argument well.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate and allows for clear communication. You have used some good collocations like 'adrenaline rush' and 'nail-biting story'. However, there are instances of slightly unnatural word choices, such as 'bring this transition' or 'umpteen types of scandals'. The range is sufficient for the task, but to reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise, academic vocabulary and avoid slightly informal or imprecise phrasing. The spelling is accurate throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While there are some error-free sentences, there are recurring grammatical issues, such as missing articles ('the crime genre', 'the majority') and minor punctuation errors. For example, the sentence 'To exemplify, in 2022, an experiment was conducted...' is slightly clunky. The use of complex structures is present but occasionally results in minor errors that do not impede communication. Focusing on article usage and subject-verb agreement will help elevate your score in this criterion.

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