Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-31
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)
In the present time multiple crime related novels and Television shows are becoming very famous among the people of various different nationalities. There are plethora of reasons behind it and this essay will try explain them. Different people have contrasting opinions but i believe that what people want to watch on TV or read in novels just depends upon their preferences and interest.
To begin with, Crime Dramas and novels are very popular as they usually resonate with what is happening around us. They cover stories which people can actually relate and have certain knowledge about. For example, Covering stories related to thefts, heists and murders, which we hear about almost all the time other than that these shows usually label all events covered in show to be inspired by real events. Although crime novels and dramas are very famous in different nationalities it cannot be denied that peoples preference of watching different genres of show just depends upon what we really want to see. Many people love to watch Romantic Dramas and read about Science fiction novels as they are interested in the aspects covered in these genres.
To sum up i would say that watching a certain genre in a TV drama or choosing a certain type of novel depends upon our indiviual preferences. Furthermore if a TV drama has stood up on spectators expectations everyone would want to see it irrespective of the specified genre. Crime is an unwanted trait of our society which can not be neglected weather in real life or even if we are writing a novel as it helps writer to make people live through that story rather than just reading a book.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
You address both questions: you suggest that crime stories feel familiar because they reflect events people hear about, and you give a view that viewing and reading choices depend on personal preference. However, the explanation of popularity is brief, and the claim that stories are relatable is not developed with a clear example or further reasoning. Your opinion is also not fully clear: the essay mainly says that preferences differ, then ends by suggesting crime fiction helps readers “live through that story,” without explaining whether you consider the genre valuable, entertaining, or problematic. Develop each answer with a specific reason and example, and state your own evaluation directly and consistently.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable introduction, body paragraph, and conclusion, and phrases such as “To begin with” and “To sum up” help signal the structure. The main ideas are generally understandable, but progression within the body is uneven: the discussion moves from realism to genre preferences without clearly showing how the second point answers why crime stories are popular. The long example beginning “Covering stories related to thefts” is also awkwardly connected to the surrounding sentences. Use separate, focused paragraphs for the reasons and your opinion, and make links between claims explicit rather than relying mainly on basic signposts.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use an adequate range for the topic, including “crime-related,” “heists,” “genres,” “preferences,” and “spectators’ expectations.” These choices make the subject clear, and some topic-specific vocabulary adds variety. However, several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “various different nationalities,” “a plethora of reasons behind it,” and “stood up on spectators expectations.” There are also spelling and word-form slips, including “indiviual” and “peoples” where a possessive is intended. Aim for more natural collocations and precise phrasing, and proofread spelling and apostrophes. This would make your vocabulary more flexible and accurate without needing unnecessarily elaborate words.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt both simple and complex structures, including a contrast with “Although” and a conditional clause beginning “if a TV drama has stood up…”. Meaning is usually recoverable, but some errors in sentence construction, agreement, articles, and punctuation reduce accuracy. For example, “this essay will try explain them” needs an infinitive marker, while “people can actually relate” requires an object such as “to.” The sentence beginning “For example, Covering stories…” is a fragment, and the final sentence joins several ideas in a way that makes the grammatical relationships unclear. Practise building complete sentences and checking verb patterns, articles, and sentence boundaries.
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