Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-03

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)

Newer generation is more interested in murder mystery dramas and novels. As books and television shows are gaining popularity all around the world. In my perspertive, it is amazing to see the shift from the romantic show to thriller tv shows and books.

With the change in the generational thinking, it is a really good idea how people are more focused on crime fiction and tv crime shows. The tv shows are books are gaining popularity mainly due to how the crime rates has gone up. People nowadays want to be alerted rom whats going on around them. By reading or watching these kinds of shows, makes them aware from anything bad happening to them or ttheir family. For instance, by reading crime novels and watching the tv shows makes the person more self-concious of the surrounding. One of my friend loves watching the crime shows and she was travelling solo to Texas. Night before boardin the plane, she was at the night club where she saved herself from being robbed. She was self aware of the surrounding and thing that she needs to carry while travelling solo.

Honestly, in my point of view after hearing her story, I thought how amazing it is to know how you can survive when trapped in certain situation like this. Whether you are reading a book or watching a tv show, it can help you learn so many thing around the world by sitting at one place. It is insane how much you can learn. I would suggest everyone should watch or read these kind of genre.

Overall, the popularity of crime novels and tv dramas are fascinated in a way, by making a person aware and concious. Newr generation are being alerted in a good way.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address both parts of the prompt: you suggest that crime stories are popular because they alert people to possible dangers, and you give a clear positive opinion, recommending that people read or watch them. The example about your friend travelling alone gives the response a relevant personal illustration. However, the explanation that crime rates have risen is asserted rather than supported, and the example mainly shows awareness of surroundings rather than how a crime drama or novel taught a specific safety lesson. Your opinion is clear, but the benefits of crime fiction and the reasons for its appeal could be developed more fully and precisely. Explain additional sources of appeal, such as suspense or solving a mystery, and connect examples directly to them.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, a paragraph explaining popularity, a paragraph giving your opinion, and a brief conclusion. Ideas generally progress from the proposed reason for popularity to your personal view, and phrases such as “For instance” and “Overall” help signal relationships. However, some links are mechanical or unclear. The opening fragment beginning “As books and television shows…” does not connect grammatically to the preceding sentence, and “The tv shows are books” makes the relationship between ideas difficult to follow. The conclusion repeats the awareness point without adding a clear synthesis. Use complete sentences, make references such as “these kinds of shows” precise, and organise each paragraph around one clearly developed point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of topic vocabulary, including “murder mystery,” “crime fiction,” “crime rates,” “travelling solo,” and “self-aware.” These choices make the subject clear, and you attempt some less common expressions. However, inaccurate word choice, spelling, and collocation are noticeable and sometimes distract the reader: “perspertive,” “conscious” (written as “concious”), “Newr,” and “alerted rom” are examples. Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “the shift from the romantic show to thriller tv shows” and “aware from anything bad happening.” Aim for accurate, natural combinations, and vary repeated words such as “shows,” “aware,” and “amazing.” Proofreading spelling and choosing precise expressions will make your ideas easier to understand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a reason clause with “mainly due to” and a conditional idea in “when trapped in certain situation.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some errors in sentence structure, agreement, and verb forms remain. “As books and television shows are gaining popularity all around the world” is a dependent clause presented as a sentence, while “By reading or watching these kinds of shows, makes them aware” has no clear grammatical subject. Agreement is also faulty in “the crime rates has gone up” and “the popularity … are fascinated.” Articles and plurals need attention in “a certain situation” and “so many things.” Practise complete clauses and check that subjects agree with their verbs; this will improve accuracy while preserving your attempts at varied structures.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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