Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-03

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 today's world, shows are getting popularity if their content is crime based whether it could be in books or on some digital platform. In my opinion, criminal content gets popularity but it has its own advantages and disadvantages just like every coin has its two sides.

Firstly, the audience who consume criminal drama, movies and novels are good in number and people who read or watch they suggest other people to see that series. Furthermore, apart from this content love story and documentary's audience are bit less in number and they are also shifting towards the criminal content. Sometimes people start relating that, with the reality for example, the Nirbhaya rape case many content is related to this case and that makes people more interested in watching or reading the criminal stuff.

In the contrary, criminal content is not appropriate for all ages and there are certain platforms where everyone can consume the data. I believe that there should be some restrictions on certain channels and websites so the children below eighteen won't be able to watch. As this content also have some negative impact on the children and that can leads them towards darkness. for example if a fifteen years old child watch crime petrol then the child's perception towards world being changed and he or she might face trust issues, anxiety or panic attack.

In the conclusion, I would like to mention that publishing criminal content is good or people do like that but on the other hand their should be some restrictions for the channels. So that our environment should be safe and healthy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: the reasons for popularity and your personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that people relate to reality, such as the 'Nirbhaya rape case', this point is not fully explored. The discussion on the disadvantages is also quite general. To reach a higher band, you should provide more detailed explanations or specific examples that clearly link the popularity of crime fiction to human psychology or societal trends. The position is clear, but the supporting arguments lack the depth required for a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'Furthermore', and 'In the conclusion'. However, the use of these devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'In the contrary' (which should be 'On the contrary'). Additionally, some sentences are loosely connected, and the flow between ideas could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall progression of ideas could be more sophisticated to improve the logical flow between the advantages and disadvantages discussed.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on repetitive phrasing, such as 'criminal content' and 'popularity'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'good in number' instead of 'numerous' or 'a significant number'. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little attempt to use less common or more sophisticated lexical items. To improve, focus on using a wider range of synonyms and more precise academic collocations to express your ideas more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'leads them towards darkness' (should be 'lead'), 'child watch crime petrol' (should be 'watches'), and 'their should be' (should be 'there'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall clarity of your writing. You should focus on subject-verb agreement, correct word forms, and ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed accurately.

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

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