Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-05

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, the crime rate has been increased day by day. Nowadays, crime novels and TV crime dramas are becoming more popular day by day. There could be plethora of reasons behind this trend and I will elaborate this with my opinion in the upcoming paragraphs.

To begin with, myriad of countries, criminal TV shows and novels has been famous amongst the youngsters. the reason behind this trend is that, younger generation are highly interested to watch these kind of shows for their entertainment. Moreover, they would prefer this for their fun and refreshment. For instance, according to the survey held by the criminal department of Canada in the year 2025, they have stated that, approximately 80% of the youngsters have been showing their interest to see the criminal show as a entertainment purpose.

In my opinion, it creates negative impact on our younger generations if they follow the crime fiction and dramas. Furthermore, it has been proven that, it affects their mental health and as a result they are facing some mental disorders. For instance, according to the health department, they mentioned that, around half of the population have been suffering from the mental diseases by following the criminal novels and dramas in their day to day life.

To conclude this, crime shows and novels are highly demandable for our young generation for their fun purpose. However, I believe that, it creates negative impact on their mental health on long term. overall, they are gonna facing anxiety , depression and other diseases.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses both parts of the prompt: reasons for popularity and personal opinion. However, the development is limited. The reasons provided for popularity are somewhat repetitive, focusing only on 'entertainment' and 'fun'. The opinion section lacks depth, relying on unsubstantiated claims about mental health statistics. The ideas are presented but not fully explored or supported with logical reasoning. To improve, you should provide more varied reasons for the popularity of the genre, such as the psychological appeal of mystery or the thrill of solving puzzles, and ensure your opinion is supported by more plausible arguments rather than generalized claims about mental disorders.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'For instance' and 'Furthermore'. Some transitions feel forced, and the logical flow between sentences is occasionally interrupted by grammatical errors. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly in the second paragraph where 'they' is used without a clear antecedent. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, central topic sentence that connects smoothly to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There is significant repetition of words like 'criminal', 'shows', 'novels', and 'young generation'. Some collocations are unnatural, such as 'highly demandable' and 'mental diseases by following'. The use of 'plethora' is a good attempt at a less common word, but it is not used in a natural context. To improve, focus on learning topic-specific collocations and synonyms to avoid repeating the same basic vocabulary throughout the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The essay contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('crime rate has been increased', 'novels has been famous') and awkward phrasing ('they are gonna facing'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary commas used throughout. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of basic grammatical errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focus on mastering subject-verb agreement and avoiding informal contractions like 'gonna'.

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