Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

In many countries, crime novels and television crime dramas are becoming increasingly popular. This is mainly because they provide suspense, entertainment and an opportunity for people to solve mysteries. In my opinion, crime fiction is a highly engaging form of entertainment, although excessive violence can sometimes be a concern.

One important reason for the popularity of crime stories is their ability to create suspense. Readers and viewers are often encouraged to follow clues, identify suspects and predict the outcome before the mystery is solved. This makes them feel involved in the story rather than simply watching it. Moreover, crime dramas often contain unexpected twists and complicated characters, which encourage audiences to continue watching. For example, a detective series may introduce several possible suspects before revealing the real criminal in the final episode.

Another reason is that crime fiction can satisfy people’s curiosity about unusual events and human behaviour. Such stories often show how detectives investigate crimes and bring criminals to justice. As a result, they can be both entertaining and thought-provoking, particularly when they explore issues such as morality, justice and the motives behind criminal behaviour.

Personally, I enjoy crime novels and TV dramas because they require concentration and critical thinking. I find it particularly satisfying when I can identify important clues before the characters do. However, I believe that programmes which focus excessively on violence or glorify criminals can have a negative influence, especially on younger viewers.

In conclusion, crime fiction is popular because it combines suspense, mystery and intellectual challenge. Although some programmes may contain inappropriate levels of violence, I believe well-produced crime stories are an enjoyable and stimulating form of entertainment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the prompt. You clearly identify reasons for the popularity of crime fiction, such as the intellectual challenge of solving mysteries and the exploration of human behaviour. Your personal opinion is stated in the introduction and consistently maintained throughout the essay, with a balanced view regarding the potential negative impact of violence. The ideas are well-developed and supported with relevant explanations, such as the mention of 'unexpected twists' and 'complicated characters'. The structure is logical, and the content is directly relevant to the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The essay demonstrates a clear logical progression. Each paragraph has a central theme, and the transition between ideas is smooth. You make effective use of cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'As a result', and 'In conclusion', which help guide the reader through your argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the reasons for popularity from your personal opinion. The referencing is clear, and the flow of ideas is natural, making the text easy to follow from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the topic with precision. Phrases like 'bring criminals to justice', 'intellectual challenge', and 'thought-provoking' are used accurately and appropriately in context. While the vocabulary is functional and clear, it could be elevated further by incorporating more sophisticated collocations or less common idiomatic expressions to reach the highest band. However, there are no significant errors in word choice, and your control over the vocabulary used is consistent throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The essay displays a good variety of complex sentence structures, such as the use of conditional and concessive clauses (e.g., 'although excessive violence can sometimes be a concern'). The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and verb tenses is strong. There are no major grammatical slips that impede communication. To move to a higher band, you could experiment with a wider variety of advanced structures, such as inversion or more complex passive constructions, to demonstrate even greater flexibility.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.