Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-15
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 in many countries, TV crime dramas and crime novels are becoming increasingly popular. This is happening because of the reason that they are interesting and hence keeps the audience engaging. I believe that it is an amazing source of entertainment and should be considered in the similar way. I will give reasons for my argument in the following paragraphs.
The foremost reason why crime drama and novels are becoming more and more popular is because it keeps the audience engaging till the end and makes them wonder whats next. Further it also keeps our brain active and enhances our thinking capabilities. For instance, people watching this types of novels or drams are able to think critically then the one's who don't.
In my opinion, I think it is a good way of enjoy and spending time with friend and family. Moreover it keeps your mind active and fresh. However, it sometime makes people believe the things to be true. One should enjoy watching the dramas or reading crime novels but should not get more involves into it. For instance, there was a news in the newspaper last week that mentioned about a man killing someone by taking ideas from the a popular crime drama.
To conclude, I believe that watching crime drama it is a good way of gathering and spending quality time with your loved ones. Additionally, it keeps our mind active and aids to think critically. however, we should not get much involved and imitate the characters and believe it to be true.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for popularity and a personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is limited. The explanation regarding why these shows are popular is somewhat repetitive, focusing mainly on 'keeping the mind active' and 'engaging the audience' without exploring deeper psychological or cultural reasons. The personal opinion is present but lacks depth; the example provided about a man killing someone is a bit extreme and not fully integrated into a coherent argument. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points with more nuanced reasoning rather than repeating similar ideas in different paragraphs.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'Further', 'Moreover', 'Additionally'). There are also issues with referencing; for instance, 'this types of novels' is grammatically incorrect and creates a slight disruption in flow. The progression of ideas is logical, but the transitions between sentences could be smoother. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would significantly enhance the overall cohesion of the essay.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for higher bands. You rely on basic descriptors like 'interesting' and 'amazing'. There are also several word-choice errors, such as 'good way of enjoy' (should be 'enjoying') and 'get more involves' (should be 'involved'). While the meaning is clear, the lack of sophisticated vocabulary or idiomatic expressions limits the score. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to media consumption and psychological impact, and pay closer attention to word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'this types of novels or drams', 'then the one's who don't' (should be 'than those who don't'), and 'there was a news'. Subject-verb agreement and pluralisation are inconsistent throughout the text. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic errors like article usage and verb forms would be a highly effective way to improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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