Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-05
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)
Nowadays, crime novels and tv crime dremas are becoming in creasingly popular in many countries. many people enjoy reading or watching stories about criminals, detectives, and police investigations. this essay will discuss the reasons for their popularity and explain why i believe crime fiction can be both entertaining and educational.
one of the main reasons these books and television shows are so popular is that they create excitement and suspense. viewers and readers enjoy trying to solve the mystery before the detective does in addition, crime stories often contain unexpected twists, which keep people interested until the end. another reason is that these stories allow people to expreience danger and adventure in a safe way without facing real -life risk.
i believe crime fiction and crime dramas have several positive aspects. they can improve peoples critical thinking because audiences often analyse clues and predict the criminal's identity.
furthermore, many crime
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response is significantly under-length, reaching only 150 words against the 250-word requirement. This severely impacts the development of ideas. While the essay addresses the prompt by identifying reasons for popularity (excitement, suspense, safe adventure) and offering an opinion (educational value), the discussion is cut short abruptly. The lack of a conclusion and the incomplete final sentence mean that the task is only partially addressed. To improve, you must expand on your points with specific examples and ensure you complete the essay structure, including a clear introduction, body paragraphs with supporting evidence, and a concluding summary.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay shows some logical organization, with a clear introduction and separate paragraphs for reasons and personal opinion. However, the abrupt ending disrupts the overall flow. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'one of the main reasons', 'in addition', and 'furthermore', but the transition between ideas is sometimes mechanical. Paragraphing is present but incomplete due to the unfinished nature of the text. To improve, ensure that each paragraph is fully developed and that you use a wider variety of linking words to connect your arguments more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using terms like 'detectives', 'police investigations', 'suspense', and 'critical thinking'. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'tv crime dremas' and 'expreience', and some minor punctuation issues. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations and topic-specific vocabulary, and ensure you proofread carefully to eliminate basic spelling mistakes that detract from the professional tone of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, such as 'viewers and readers enjoy trying to solve the mystery before the detective does'. However, there are frequent errors in basic grammar and punctuation, including missing capital letters at the start of sentences (e.g., 'one of the main reasons', 'i believe') and inconsistent use of hyphens ('real -life'). These errors are noticeable but do not fully impede communication. To improve, focus on sentence construction, consistent capitalization, and accurate punctuation to ensure your writing is grammatically sound.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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