Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-04
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 5.5)
In the contemporary world, crime novels and TV crime dramas are becoming more and more popular because people enjoy entertainment which involves suspense and drama.
Often the characters are depicted in such a way that leave a lasting impact in the mind of the audience and attract them towards their strategies and the ways of committing a crime providing them great entertainment. For example, CID drama which was quite popular among the Indians because the character played of Daya impressed people towards then and they were always curious what steps he will take in catching a criminal.
Furthermore, it is seen that some criminals, when interrogated by the police, tried to learn the methods from the TV crime dramas or books which provided popularity to these shows or books as well. Last month, one brother killed his sister brutally with a knife when she was going to a college and told to police, he got this idea from a crime book called "The Killing" which was quite surprising for a police officer as well.
This is the reason in many countries today; crime novels and TV crime dramas are gaining more popularity. However, people should be cautious while watching these dramas or reading a novel, specifically parents should keep an eye on the children reading crime novels or watching a drama to ensure they watch it only for the entertainment purpose and learning what kind of crimes can happen with them if they don't remain aware while going outside and not take any negative learning out of them and commit or try to mimic such crimes in real life which can lead to serious consequences.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for popularity and your personal opinion. However, the development is somewhat uneven. The first reason regarding suspense is well-understood, but the second reason—that criminals learn from these shows—is a controversial and somewhat anecdotal point that lacks broader context. Your opinion is clearly stated in the final paragraph, focusing on the need for parental guidance and awareness. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are more balanced and supported by more general observations rather than specific, potentially sensationalized anecdotes, which can make the argument feel slightly narrow.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. You use some cohesive devices like 'Furthermore' and 'However' to transition between ideas. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical. For instance, the transition between the popularity of crime dramas and the anecdote about the brother is abrupt. Additionally, some sentences are quite long and run-on, such as the final sentence of the essay, which makes the progression of ideas feel slightly cluttered. Improving the use of punctuation and varying your linking words would help the essay flow more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'contemporary', 'interrogated', and 'consequences'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'impressed people towards then' is unnatural; a better phrasing would be 'drew the audience in'. Similarly, 'provide popularity to these shows' is slightly awkward. You rely on some repetitive phrasing, such as 'crime novels and TV crime dramas' appearing multiple times. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise synonyms and collocations related to media and social impact would enhance your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and article usage. For instance, 'the character played of Daya' should be 'the character played by Daya', and 'tried to learn' should be 'try to learn' to maintain consistency. There are also punctuation issues, such as the semicolon usage in the final paragraph, which is incorrect. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to limit the score to a 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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