Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-10

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 7.0)

In many countries, crime novels and TV crime dramas are becoming increasingly popular. There are several reasons behind this trend, and in my opinion, although crime fiction can be entertaining and thought-provoking, people should not become too fascinated by violence and crime.

One reason for the popularity of crime stories is that they are exciting and unpredictable. Readers and viewers often wants to discover who committed the crime and understand how the mystery will be solved. This encourages them to keep reading or watching until the end. For example, detective stories often include clues and unexpected twists, which make the audience feel excited and involved in solving the case themselves.

Another reason is that crime dramas allow people to experience dangerous situations without actually being in danger. They can learn about investigations, police work and criminal mindset from the safety point of view for their homes. In addition, these stories often contain moral questions, which can make people think about justice and right and wrong.

Personally, I enjoy crime fiction and TV crime dramas when they have a strong storyline and intelligent characters. I particularly like trying to guess the identity of the criminal before it is revealed. However, I think some programmes focus too much on violence and disturbing scenes. Watching this type of content too frequently may have a negative effect, especially on younger viewers.

In conclusion, crime novels and TV dramas are popular because they are suspenseful, engaging and allow people to explore dangerous situations safely. I believe they can be enjoyable and even educational, provided that people choose suitable programmes and do not become overly interested in violence.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all parts of the prompt, providing clear reasons for the popularity of crime fiction and expressing a balanced personal opinion. Your ideas are relevant and well-supported with examples, such as the mention of 'clues and unexpected twists' and the 'safety' of experiencing danger vicariously. The position is consistent throughout the essay. To reach a higher band, you could further develop your arguments by exploring the psychological appeal of crime dramas in more depth, perhaps discussing the human fascination with the 'dark side' of society or the cathartic nature of seeing justice served.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and you use cohesive devices such as 'One reason', 'Another reason', 'In addition', and 'In conclusion' effectively to guide the reader. The progression of ideas is smooth and easy to follow. To improve, ensure that the transition between your personal opinion and the broader societal impact is slightly more seamless. The current structure is functional and clear, meeting the requirements for a high band in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for the task, using terms like 'unpredictable', 'criminal mindset', 'disturbing scenes', and 'thought-provoking'. The language is natural and conveys your meaning clearly. There are no significant errors in word choice. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items. For example, instead of 'become too fascinated', you could use 'become desensitized to', and instead of 'very popular', you might use 'widespread appeal' or 'pervasive popularity'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures with generally good control. Most of your sentences are error-free, which aids readability. However, there is a minor subject-verb agreement error in the second paragraph: 'Readers and viewers often wants' should be 'want'. Additionally, the phrase 'from the safety point of view for their homes' is slightly awkward; a more natural phrasing would be 'from the safety of their own homes'. Despite these minor slips, your grammatical control is strong and does not impede communication.

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