Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-09-21

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people think that the fictional violence portrayed on television is harmless entertainment. Others disagree and think that it encourages violent behaviour.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 7.0)

Television is full of fictional violence, from action films to crime dramas. Some people see it as harmless entertainment, while others believe it makes viewers more aggressive. In my opinion, it is harmless for most adults, but it can negatively affect young children.

Those who consider it harmless argue that viewers understand the difference between fiction and reality. Millions of people enjoy action movies and superhero shows every day, yet the vast majority never behave violently. For many, watching a fight scene or a thriller is simply a way to relax after a stressful day. Moreover, most countries have age ratings and parental controls, which help ensure that violent content is shown mainly to adult audiences.

However, critics believe that constant exposure to violence can influence behaviour, particularly among children. Young children are impressionable and often copy what they see on screen. For example, a child who watches a superhero punching villains may imitate this behaviour while playing with classmates. In addition, if violence is shown repeatedly and without consequences, viewers may become desensitised and start to see it as normal or even exciting.

In my view, fictional violence is not the main cause of real-life aggression. Factors such as family background, upbringing and social environment play a far greater role. Nevertheless, parents should monitor what their children watch, and broadcasters should follow strict guidelines about when violent programmes are shown.

In conclusion, although fictional violence is generally harmless for adults, it can be risky for children, so it should be controlled rather than banned.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.5
Coherence and Cohesion7.5
Lexical Resource6.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy7.0
Overall7.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on fictional television violence and providing a clear, well-supported personal opinion. The writer presents strong arguments for both sides. For instance, the paragraph supporting the view that violence is harmless cites logical points about viewers distinguishing fiction from reality and the role of age ratings. Conversely, the counterargument effectively highlights the vulnerability of young children and the risk of desensitisation through examples like a child imitating a superhero. The conclusion successfully synthesises these ideas and presents a balanced personal stance. Ideas are well developed and extended appropriately throughout the essay, demonstrating a solid understanding of the prompt requirements and satisfying the criteria for a high band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

Ideas are logically sequenced and progress naturally from an introduction to the two opposing views, followed by the writer's perspective and a concise conclusion. Each paragraph has a clear central topic, such as the opening sentence of the second paragraph: 'Those who consider it harmless argue that viewers understand the difference between fiction and reality.' Cohesive devices are used effectively and unobtrusively, including transition signals like 'Moreover', 'However', 'In addition', and 'Nevertheless'. Paragraphing is managed sufficiently and appropriately, with each major idea allocated to its own distinct paragraph. Referencing throughout the essay is clear, ensuring the reader can effortlessly follow the flow of arguments and counterarguments from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient and generally flexible range of vocabulary suitable for an academic essay. Less common lexical items are used with good awareness of style and collocation, such as 'impressionable', 'desensitised', 'parental controls', and 'social environment'. Word choices are precise, as seen in phrases like 'constant exposure to violence' and 'fictional violence is not the main cause of real-life aggression'. While there are no major lexical errors that impede communication, the vocabulary is slightly more standard than what is typically expected for a Band 8 or 9 response, placing it firmly in the Band 7 range where precision is achieved alongside occasional minor limitations in range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The essay displays a good variety of complex structures alongside simple sentence forms, showcasing effective control over grammar and punctuation. Examples of complex structures include conditional and participial constructions, such as 'if violence is shown repeatedly and without consequences, viewers may become desensitised' and 'a child who watches a superhero punching villains may imitate this behaviour'. The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is handled correctly throughout. While minor occasional slips might occur in more ambitious constructions, grammatical accuracy remains high and never impedes communication, reflecting solid control across a varied range of sentence types.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.