Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-02

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 5.0)

Nowadays, crime novels and TV crime shows are becoming popular among people. There are various reasons for this popularity that we will discuss below.

Firstly, from my perspective, crime novels and TV shows are based on real life. People find these shows interesting to watch. These dramas are watched mostly by kids and youngsters. These shows are loaded with suspense and thrillers that make people stick to the screens.

Crime fiction books are full of benefits, such as enhancing critical thinking and escaping from daily life stress. These novels grip a person with the story of what will happen next.

I believe that these books and TV shows are beneficial for leisure time. But excessive watching of these shows makes people addicted to these shows, and youngsters are influenced to use weapons and drugs to look cool among society.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You address both questions: you suggest that suspense attracts viewers and that crime fiction can support critical thinking, then give a qualified opinion that it is useful for leisure but may have harmful effects. However, the response develops these points only minimally, and the explanation of popularity is especially narrow; the claim that the stories are “based on real life” is not explained or illustrated. The point about young people being influenced to use weapons and drugs also needs support and a clearer link to crime dramas. The response is 139 words, below the required 250, so there is not enough space to develop the ideas or provide relevant examples. Explain each reason and support it with a specific example.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic, readable structure: an introduction, a paragraph about popularity, a paragraph on benefits, and a concluding opinion. “Firstly” and “But” help signal relationships between ideas, and the main points can generally be followed. However, progression is limited: the opening promises several reasons, but only a few are briefly stated, and the final paragraph combines benefits, addiction, and possible influence without developing the links between them. The repeated use of “these shows” also makes the writing feel repetitive. To improve, organise the response around distinct points, use clearer references such as “crime dramas” or “these programmes,” and connect each claim to an explanation or example.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “crime novels,” “suspense,” “critical thinking,” and “addicted.” Some choices show an attempt to be expressive, but the range is limited and several phrases are imprecise or repetitive. For example, “loaded with suspense and thrillers” is an awkward combination, while “stick to the screens” is less natural than a standard expression for holding viewers’ attention. “Kids and youngsters” repeats a similar idea, and “look cool among society” is unclear in this context. Aim for more precise collocations and vary repeated nouns and phrases. More accurate vocabulary would make your explanations clearer and help you discuss both the appeal and possible effects of crime fiction.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

Your sentences are generally understandable, and you use both simple statements and some longer structures, such as “These novels grip a person with the story of what will happen next.” The basic sentence patterns are mostly controlled, and punctuation makes the response easy to read. However, the range remains narrow, with many short, similarly structured sentences and little use of complex clauses to explain causes or consequences. In “There are various reasons for this popularity that we will discuss below,” the relative clause is awkwardly attached and the promised discussion is not fully delivered. Practise combining ideas with accurate clauses using “because,” “although,” and “which,” while checking that each clause clearly refers to the intended idea.

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