Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-09
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 many countries crime novels and television crime shows are gaining more popularity now a days.In my upcoming paragraphs i will discuss both the reasons of its popularity and my opinion .
To begin with the reasons why crime novels and tv crime dramas becoming more popular .Firstly , the interesting story line of these novels and shows make people curious to watch and read these . Moreover, the episodes of tv shows or novels are related to real incidents which attract people more to read and watch these dramas .Secondly , the sound affects perfectly matching with the situation , graphics and presentation are so eye catching especially for young ones .In addition , people become more aware about their surroundings and become alert .
However in my opinion , people become addicted of these shows and they try to act like same . People pic wrong ideas form it and sometimes they try to attempt crime can spoil their future . For example , in now a days according to a crime department reports people take it as a challenge and try to follow the same steps to accomplish the result which leads the lives in prisons . they watch these or read it again and again to make their skills perfect before doing offends .
In conclusion , though these crime novels and tv crime dramas are gaining more popularity because of its strong story line and eye catching graphics but it also becoming the reason for more crime .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for popularity and personal opinion. However, the development is limited. While you mention 'interesting story lines' and 'real incidents', these points are not fully extended with specific examples. The opinion section is clearer, but the argument that people 'try to act like same' is a broad generalization that lacks nuance. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed explanations and concrete examples to support your claims, ensuring that the connection between the popularity of the genre and your personal stance is more cohesive.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use basic cohesive devices like 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'In conclusion'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and there are issues with referencing (e.g., 'these' is used frequently without a clear antecedent). The transition between the reasons for popularity and your personal opinion is abrupt. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would significantly enhance the logical progression of your ideas.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. You rely on simple descriptors like 'interesting' and 'eye catching'. There are also some collocation errors, such as 'addicted of' (should be 'addicted to') and 'doing offends' (should be 'committing offenses'). While you attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, the range is limited, and the repetition of phrases like 'crime novels and tv crime dramas' suggests a restricted vocabulary. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated synonyms and learning common collocations related to media and social behavior.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include missing articles (e.g., 'in now a days'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'try to attempt crime can spoil'), and punctuation errors, such as missing spaces after commas and periods. Subject-verb agreement is also inconsistent. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for small errors would be beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.