Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-04
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 5.0)
In recent times, the popularity of fictional crime series has shown immense growth due to escalating demand for entertainment but it also affecting the minds of young people.
To begin with, as there is increasing demand of intellectual engagement, the production of fictional crime series has also been growing. For example, C.I.D is more popular than any other series in India. Moreover, these novels create curiosity among the audience because it draw them with the storyline of the series.
Conversely, consuming it in moderation will be useful otherwise it can directly target the brain and it can lead to antisocial behavior. To illustrate, there are cases available on the internet showing that several people had learned unlawful method from the kind of series and novels.
In conclusion, reading and watching crime novels for the suspense can be enjoyable only if you watch in moderation otherwise it can lead to anxiety or encourage criminal behaviour.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 250 words, reaching only 154 words. This significant under-length results in a failure to fully develop the ideas required by the prompt. While the essay touches upon the popularity of crime fiction and provides a brief opinion, the arguments are underdeveloped and lack the necessary depth and supporting detail expected for a Task 2 response. The ideas regarding 'intellectual engagement' and 'antisocial behavior' are introduced but not sufficiently explored or supported with detailed reasoning or examples. To improve, you must expand your points into full paragraphs with clear topic sentences and substantial supporting evidence.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is organized into short paragraphs, which provides a basic structure. There is some attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', 'Conversely', and 'In conclusion'. However, the progression of ideas is limited due to the brevity of the text. The connection between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the overall flow is hindered by the lack of depth in the arguments. To achieve a higher band, ensure that each paragraph contains a clear central idea that is logically linked to the next, using a wider variety of cohesive devices to improve the flow between sentences.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'immense growth', 'intellectual engagement', and 'antisocial behavior' show an attempt to use more academic language, but there are also instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'it draw them with the storyline' and 'learned unlawful method'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to demonstrate the flexibility required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and a wider range of topic-specific vocabulary related to media, psychology, and literature.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('it also affecting', 'it draw them') and incorrect pluralization ('learned unlawful method'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction is often simplistic. To improve, you should practice using a wider variety of complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and conditional sentences, while paying closer attention to subject-verb agreement and plural forms to ensure accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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