Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-19
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)
It has been noticed in many countries comparison to the past, people prefer to watch more criminal movies and reading novels. In this essay, I will discuss why today's generation is excited to crime related movies and books before presenting my own opinion.
On the one hand, many film industries promote their movies where their main motive is action, which represents most of the crimes. For example, in the movie The Night Action, people are so eager to watch this and every part of this movie, they are supporting ruthless crimes which may put negative impact on the existing and upcoming generation. As a result, many individuals restrain from being kind to each other and may misbehave with their elders.
On the other hand, reading novels is a good habit and can improve cognitive skills in children. But reading novels and watching TV dramas related to crimes may lead to the loss of true potential and can impact their nervous system. For instance, many schools prefer their children to improve reading skills by suggesting good novels. Moreover, many children do not agree on advice and rather prefer to action ones, which may cost them very badly because they get used to it. Consequently, even the well-qualified adults develop addiction of crime novels and dramas only.
In my opinion, I believe that reading those novels and watch series which develop marked improvement and should help them in future by developing communication skills and confidence.
In conclusion, movies which shows heinous act and crimes may destroy the mental health of individuals rather people should avoid watching this. Instead prefer to watch series and read books which highly enhances their numerous skills.
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, discussing reasons for the popularity of crime fiction and providing an opinion. However, the development of ideas is inconsistent. The explanation for why these genres are popular is somewhat vague, focusing more on the negative impacts of the content rather than the psychological appeal or entertainment value. The opinion section is also underdeveloped and slightly confusing, as it contradicts the earlier stance by suggesting that reading novels can improve skills, without clearly distinguishing between crime fiction and other genres. To improve, ensure that each paragraph directly answers the specific question asked and provides more logical, well-supported arguments.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organised into paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt at logical progression. Cohesive devices such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion' are used to structure the response. However, the flow within paragraphs is sometimes disjointed. For example, the transition between the benefits of reading and the negative impact of crime novels is abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is unclear, such as the phrase 'prefer to action ones', which lacks a clear antecedent. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that sentences within a paragraph are tightly connected would enhance the overall coherence.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'excited to crime related movies' instead of 'excited by' or 'interested in', and 'cost them very badly'. The phrase 'develop addiction of' is also non-standard. While the student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'cognitive skills' and 'heinous act', the overall range is limited. To reach a higher band, focus on using more natural collocations and a wider range of vocabulary to express complex ideas more accurately.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include incorrect preposition usage ('comparison to the past'), missing articles, and subject-verb agreement errors (e.g., 'movies which shows'). Some sentences are structurally incomplete or confusing, such as the final sentence in the opinion paragraph. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common grammatical slips would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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