Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-02

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 6.5)

Nowadays, in many countries, crime novels and TV crime dramas have become increasingly popular. I believe this is mainly because people enjoy suspense and the challenges of trying to solve the mystery before the story reveals the answer. In my opinion, these shows often have unexpected twists, which keeps the viewers interested and make them want to watch the show till the end.

One important reason for the popularity of crime stories is that they keep people curious. Moreover, most crime movels and dramas contain unexpected clues, suspicious characters and surprising twists. As a result, readers and viewers often try to guess who committed the crime before the ending is revealed. this make the experience more engaging because people are just not watching it story; thy are actively thinking about what will happen next.

Another reason is that these stroies encourage people to pay attention to detail and think logically. For instance, I once watched a crime series where I was convinced that one particular character has palnned the crime. I enjoyed going back to through the previous episodes in my mind and realizing that several small clues had actually pointed towards the real culprit.

Personally, I enjoy crime fiction and TV crime dramas, especially stories focus on solving mysteries and understanding the characters. I find them entertaining because they keep me interested from beginning to the end. Overall, I think suspense, mystery and unexpected endings are the main factors behing their popularity, and I would continue watching or reading well-written crime stories.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing the reasons for the popularity of crime novels and TV shows, and clearly stating a personal opinion. A clear position is maintained throughout the essay. The ideas are extended and supported, such as explaining how unexpected twists and clues keep readers curious and encourage logical thinking. However, there is a slight tendency to over-generalise in the development of some points, where arguments are stated rather than fully explored with deep examples. To reach a higher level, the response would need to offer more fully developed, detailed explanations and extended real-world examples to support every single claim.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

There is a clear logical organisation and progression throughout the essay, with a distinct introduction, body paragraphs addressing different reasons, and a concluding stance. Cohesive devices are used flexibly to connect ideas, such as 'Moreover', 'As a result', and 'Another reason is that'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each main point housed in its own well-defined paragraph. Referencing is generally clear, though minor improvements in paragraph transitions could make the flow even more seamless. To achieve a higher level, referencing and cohesive ties would need to be completely unobtrusive and managed with absolute skill across all transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'suspense', 'unexpected twists', 'suspicious characters', and 'culprit'. There are some attempts to use less common vocabulary, though this is occasionally accompanied by spelling errors, such as 'movels' instead of 'novels', and minor typographical slips. Word choices are generally appropriate for conveying meaning, and errors in spelling and word choice do not impede communication. To move to a higher lexical band, the writer must demonstrate a wider range with greater precision, fewer spelling inaccuracies, and more natural control of less common lexical items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at varied structures such as 'where I was convinced that one particular character has planned the crime'. There are some errors in grammar, such as tense consistency ('has planned' instead of 'had planned') and minor phrasing errors inside grammatical patterns ('going back to through the previous episodes'). Punctuation and sentence boundaries are mostly controlled, and errors rarely impede communication. Because this performance reflects a mix of accurate simple structures and attempted complex forms with persistent minor errors, it sits securely in the mid-range of accuracy, just short of featuring frequent error-free complex sentences.

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.