Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-17

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 6.0)

Suspense has always been a factor that has intrigued people to know more about a particular event, accident or event. This factor is evident in the popularity of TV crime dramas and crime novels in many parts of the world. This essay will explore the reasons behind this tendency before forming an opinion.

Several factors explain this trend, the most significantly of which are human psychology, relevance to reality, and to some extent a practical usage by criminals. Firstly, psychologists mention that any form of suspense brings the humans to think more deeply towards that content; this happens particularly with crime dramas and novels, as they create such a suspense thriller at the start of the novel or drama that users get attached to that story from the very first page or episode. The writers and the TV serial directors convey the story in such a chronological manner that each episode creates more suspense among readers and viewers. That suspense is then usually unfolded at the last episode of a serial or at the last page of the book. Moreover, another important factor is the relevance of such serials to actual realities. With the widespread use of internet and social media platforms, people get easy access to read the real crime stories, therefore, when people watch such serials, they somehow try to relate them with the actual story they have read already on social media platforms. Lastly, popularity also comes through the bad viewership from criminals, who also watch and read such dramas and novels to know new ways of crimes, and understand how police works to investigate a criminal case.

Although, such dramas and novels have gained popularity, they have huge negative impact on the society's social norms, crime rates and children's exposure to vulnerable materials. In my opinion, such content is not merely a time wasting exercise, it also impacts how a society behaves around a crime. By reading and watching such stories, a severity of an actual crimes weighs less, as people would have already watched or read more severe crimes. Furthermore, it has very negative impact on children, as they can get exposed to such criminal world at such a young age. Finally, while it is claimed that such content helps people to understand and take proactive precautionary measures towards the expected crime, it is also an increasing factor in teaching criminals to learn new ways of committing crimes.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both the reasons for the popularity of crime fiction and the student's personal opinion. In the first body paragraph, the writer outlines several plausible reasons, such as human psychology, the appeal of suspense, and the connection to real-life stories via social media. However, the point regarding criminals using these shows for practical guidance is somewhat speculative and underdeveloped. In the second body paragraph, the writer clearly articulates a negative opinion regarding the social impacts, specifically mentioning desensitisation to crime and the effect on children. Overall, the ideas are extended and supported, fulfilling the Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Progression is generally smooth, aided by cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore'. However, paragraphing could be slightly refined, as the second body paragraph contains a diverse range of ideas—causes of popularity followed immediately by negative impacts—which causes minor friction in logical flow. Referencing is mostly clear, though occasional mechanical transitions appear, placing this performance solidly at Band 6.5, rounded to 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate to good range of vocabulary suited to the task, incorporating terms like 'intrudes', 'chronological manner', 'precautionary measures', and 'desensitisation'. There are, however, some awkward word choices and phrasing errors, such as 'the most significantly of which', 'bad viewership', and 'vulnerable materials' instead of 'inappropriate material'. Despite these inaccuracies, communication is never impeded, and the vocabulary allows for sufficient precision, aligning well with the Band 6.5 descriptors, rounded here to 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms with varying success. There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures, such as 'brings the humans to think', 'actual a crimes weighs less', and a punctuation error in 'Although, such dramas'. Article usage and prepositional phrases also show occasional slips (e.g., 'at the last page'). Nevertheless, complex structures are attempted and many sentences are clear, meaning comprehension is rarely hindered. This reflects the characteristics of a Band 6.

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