Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-18
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)
It is true that ,nowadays crimen novels and TVcrime drames are becoming popular in many nations .This essay will discuss will discuss why people enjoy this type of entertainment and give my opinion about it .
To begin with,there are several reasons behind this trend.The first and foremost one is that these shows and drames usually exciting and keep viewers interested untill the end.This is because ,people enjoy tying to discover who committed the crime before the charactors reveal the answer.This makes the story more engagingthan many ordinary dramas.Secondly,crime shows often contain mystery and unexpected events,which break from daily routines of people.In addition to this,modern streaming platforms have made crime drames easily available,allowing peopl to watch entire series whenever they want.
In my opinion,crime fiction and televisioncrime dramas can be enjoyable and useful when they are presented responsibly.They can improve people's problem solving skills because viewers often need to pay attention to clues and remember important details.Some programmes also show how police officers and investigators collect evidence and solve difficult cases.
However,i believe there are some negative aspects .Watching the voilence relatrd programmes may make people uncomfortable,particular children.Some shows may also present unrealistic ideas about crime or make serious criminal behaviour appear entertaining.Therefore,viewers should choose programmes that are suitable for their age and watch them in moderation.
In conclusion ,crime books and TV dramas are popular because they provide mystery,excitment and entertainment.I believe they can be a postive form of entertainment when they are watched responsibly and in moderation.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses both parts of the prompt, exploring the reasons for the popularity of crime fiction and TV dramas, and providing a clear personal opinion regarding their benefits and drawbacks. Ideas are generally relevant, mentioning suspense, problem-solving skills, and potential negative impacts on children. However, some arguments lack full development and remain slightly superficial. Furthermore, an authoritative word count check establishes that the response contains 249 words, which falls short of the minimum 250-word requirement. Consequently, a slight penalty has been applied to Task Achievement for under-length, limiting the score to Band 5.5 despite addressing all prompt requirements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing causes and opinions respectively, and a brief conclusion. Progression is visible, though somewhat mechanical. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Secondly', and 'However' are employed to guide the reader through the text, but referencing is occasionally hindered by spacing and punctuation errors (e.g. missing spaces after commas and periods throughout the essay). Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, keeping the overall structure coherent despite the mechanical nature of the transitions.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student displays an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting less common terms such as 'investigators', 'in moderation', and 'streaming platforms'. However, there are numerous spelling errors and typos throughout the text, including 'crimen' instead of 'crime', 'drames' instead of 'dramas', 'untill', 'charactors', 'engagingthan', 'peopl', 'voilence relatrd', and 'postive'. These errors reflect mechanical issues and occasional word-choice inaccuracies, though they rarely impede overall communication. The lexical range is minimally sufficient for a Band 5.5 or 6.0, but the density of spelling mistakes pulls the score down to Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'This is because, people enjoy tying to discover who committed the crime before the charactors reveal the answer.' Grammatical control is mixed. There are recurrent punctuation and spacing errors, such as missing spaces before and after commas and periods (e.g. 'true that ,nowadays crimen novels'). Additionally, minor structural slips and agreement issues occur (e.g. 'particular children' instead of 'particularly children', 'i believe'). While complex structures are attempted, the frequency of punctuation, spacing, and minor grammatical errors places this response firmly at Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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