Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-13

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)

In recent years, there has been an increase in popularity of crime novels and TV crime dramas. The huge demand of crime genre has fuelled the supply of it. Moreover, it is easy to produce them because most of them portray true events, so it easy to write them for a producer.

There has been an increasing demand of the crime genre. It offers thrill, excitement and curiosity for the audience. It makes the audience glued to the TV screen, curious what is going to happen next unlike sci-fi or sitcoms. People like to binge watch such shows. As a result, there is higher demand which directly results in more sales. Production houses and authors rely on this aspect.

Moreover, most crime novels and TV shows are either a portrayal of true events or have taken inspiration from them. It is easy to write a script for a true event compared to writing a script from scratch, where the author has nothing to take inspiration from. Hence, it is easier for production houses to direct them. There are various sources of information online regarding serial killers and true crime events. Therefore, they take less time to produce once the budget is in place. For instance, Netflix has been releasing a true-crime documentary called Monsters every year for three years. Every new season is about a different serial killer. They have portrayed Jefferey Dahmer, Ed Gein and the Menendez brothers. All of them were very popular, convincing Netflix to invest more in this genre.

I personally find crime novels and TV shows very interesting. It is easier for me to read a crime book than a self-help book or a course book. Furthermore, I am personally a huge true-crime fan, so I really appreciate a good portrayal of a true event or a serial killer.

In conclusion, the crime genre will increase more in popularity as more true crime shows are released. The ease of releasing them makes it very convenient for production houses, an aspect they clearly appreciate.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses both questions: it explains the appeal through suspense, curiosity and binge-watching, and gives a clear personal view that crime fiction is interesting. The Netflix example adds relevant support, including named cases. However, the explanation that crime stories are popular because they are easier to produce is less convincing and is not fully established; the claim that true events make scripts easier to write is broad and would benefit from qualification or evidence. Your opinion is also stated more than explored: explain what you value in crime stories, or mention any reservations, to develop it further. Overall, the main ideas are relevant, but some are more fully supported than others.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a clear overall structure: an introduction, separate paragraphs explaining two reasons, a paragraph giving your opinion, and a conclusion. This makes the line of argument easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “As a result,” and “Therefore” help show relationships between ideas, although their repeated use can make the progression feel somewhat mechanical. Some references could also be clearer: “them” in the opening paragraph could refer to crime novels, shows, or true events, and “this aspect” in the second paragraph is not very precise. Use more varied transitions and repeat a key noun where a pronoun might be ambiguous. The conclusion restates the production argument but could also briefly reinforce your personal view.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of topic vocabulary, including “thrill,” “curiosity,” “true-crime documentary,” “serial killer,” and “portrayal.” These choices make the subject clear, and the examples show an attempt to use more specific language. Some collocations and word choices are less natural, however: “demand of the crime genre” would be better expressed as “demand for the crime genre,” while “the supply of it” is vague. “It is easy to produce them” also makes a broad claim without precise wording. Check spelling in “Jefferey” (the name is “Jeffrey”) and avoid repeating “popular” and “easy” where more exact alternatives are available. Greater precision and more natural collocations would strengthen the vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes both straightforward sentences and more complex forms, such as “Although” is not used, but you do connect ideas with clauses in “where the author has nothing to take inspiration from” and “which directly results in more sales.” Most sentences communicate their meaning clearly. Some grammatical errors remain, including the missing verb in “so it easy to write them” (write “so it is easy”) and the awkward construction “curious what is going to happen next” (write “curious about what is going to happen next”). In “the crime genre will increase more in popularity,” the subject is not the thing that increases; use “the popularity of the crime genre will continue to increase.” Review articles and clause patterns, while continuing to vary sentence structures.

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