Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-24

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)

Crime Thrillers have a huge fan base because of the curiosity and terror it build in its audience. The entertainment industry in many nations makes a huge profit from dramas and novels that portray crime. In my opinion, these books and TV shows can have a bad effect on society, such as an increase in crime and affecting the mental health of the young population.

To commence, people can commit crimes inspired by the fiction they consume. Some people, as they get hooked on the storyline, have their sense of reality blurred. They try to copy the events from fiction and commit them in real life. For example, there was news that a murderer was inspired by a famous Malayalam movie to hide the body. Hence, it can have a negative impact on society, creating criminals and disturbing the peace.

Furthermore, young adults watching or reading crime thrillers can harm their mental health. In these plots, there are twists that can leave the audience in terror. They can leave scars that can drastically affect their mental health. For instance, a magazine reported that after watching 'Thirteen Reasons Why', a crime thriller book turned into a series, around 86 teenagers committed suicide; later, it had to be taken down from a famous streaming service. Thus, the young generation can have their mind affected by these shows and books.

In conclusion, although there is a trend of watching and reading crime thrillers, I think society could be affected negatively by seeing or reading crime thrillers, as it can create antisocial behaviour and badly affect mental health.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

Your position is clear: you believe crime fiction can harm society, and you support this with examples about imitation and young people’s mental health. These are relevant responses to the opinion part of the task. However, the question also asks why crime novels and dramas are popular, and this is not directly explained. The opening mentions curiosity and terror, but does not develop why these features attract audiences. The two main arguments are also presented as broad claims, with limited explanation of how common or likely these effects are. To strengthen the response, address both questions explicitly and develop the appeal of the genre—for example, suspense, puzzle-solving, or interest in criminal psychology—before giving a more balanced, clearly supported opinion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each body paragraph focuses on one concern, and signposts such as “Furthermore,” “For example,” and “In conclusion” help readers follow the progression. This coherent arrangement is a strength. Some linking is nevertheless mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “Thus” and “Hence” to announce conclusions. The connection between the opening claim about curiosity and terror and the later discussion of social harm could also be made clearer. In the second body paragraph, the example is lengthy and its relevance to the general claim would benefit from a more explicit explanation. Use referencing and transitions more flexibly, and ensure each example is clearly tied back to the paragraph’s main point.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of topic vocabulary, including “fan base,” “storyline,” “inspired,” “antisocial behaviour,” and “mental health.” These choices make the subject clear, and some less common expressions show an attempt to discuss effects precisely. There are, however, several awkward or imprecise collocations: “the curiosity and terror it build,” “have their sense of reality blurred,” and “have their mind affected” do not sound fully natural. “Crime thrillers” is also repeated frequently, limiting flexibility. Aim for more precise phrasing and vary references to the genre, while checking that word combinations are idiomatic. For example, describe viewers as being “drawn to suspense” rather than simply saying the genre creates curiosity and terror.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses such as “as they get hooked on the storyline” and “after watching…”. Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, and paragraph-level control is generally steady. Some grammatical errors remain. In the opening, “the curiosity and terror it build” has a subject–verb agreement error; “it builds” is needed. The phrase “a crime thriller book turned into a series” is awkwardly constructed, and “the young generation can have their mind affected” has a number mismatch between “generation” and “their mind.” Review agreement and pronoun reference, and revise sentences with several linked ideas so their grammatical relationships are clear. Greater accuracy across these structures would make the response more polished.

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