Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-29

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 series and movies became more popular over the past few years. It is easy to discuss and reason behind the popularity. I believe they can be both educational and entertaining.

One of the main reason people enjoying to watch crime series because of suspense. It keeps you to focus form start to end mystery. In the end that all clues are connect with each other. That’s the thing hold the audience. These kind of movies or series contains unexpected twist and keeps audience interested. As well as we feel the danger and take lesson for real life risk. Another reason casting a famous public figure and marketing.

However, many people argue that crime novels and fictions are more bold. People often have this opinion because they thought tv programs are more reveling. Such as justice, chemical formula’s names, impact of crime and victims of society. Sometimes people think influence from the crime senses. younger kids not to allow to watch this kind of shows. Especially they didn’t grown up enough mature to understand difference about the things.

In conclusion, crime novels and tv shows are more popular. Because of suspense, realistic stories and public mouth-advertisement. I believe they are valuable forms for entertainment. They could be meaningful lessons about justice, human nature and their actions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for popularity and your personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is limited, and the essay falls short of the 250-word minimum requirement. While you mention suspense and casting as reasons for popularity, these points are not fully expanded with specific examples. Your opinion is stated, but the discussion regarding the negative impact on children is somewhat disjointed from the main argument. To improve, ensure each paragraph provides a clear, well-supported point that directly answers the prompt, and aim to meet the word count to allow for more depth.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as 'That’s the thing hold the audience' or 'As well as we feel the danger'. Some transitions between sentences are abrupt, making the flow feel disjointed. Referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the third paragraph where the connection between the popularity of crime fiction and the argument about children is not smoothly linked. Improving the use of linking words like 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in contrast' would help create a more logical progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. You rely on basic phrasing, such as 'things', 'kind of', and 'good', which limits the sophistication of your argument. There are also some word-choice errors, such as 'reveling' (likely meaning 'revealing') and 'crime senses' (likely meaning 'crime scenes'). To improve, focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology related to media and social impact. Expanding your range of synonyms will help you express your ideas with greater clarity and impact.

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 communication. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('one of the main reason', 'clues are connect'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing ('younger kids not to allow to watch'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with apostrophes and sentence boundaries. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents a higher score. Focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed accurately.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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