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?

Same questionCompare 2 different answers (Band 7.5–8)
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Sample Response

1

Crime novels and TV dramas have gained widespreadhuge popularity in recent times, and they often toplead the lists of the most successful series and books. There could be several reasons for this increasing popularity, and I personally believe that they are entertaining and informative forto their audiences due to their gripping plotsgripping nature and plots.

2

One primary reason why so many people are drawn to crime-related TV dramas and novels is the suspenseful plots and stories they tell. Most crime books and TV series have captivating storylinesmaterials, breathtakingbreath-taking twists and unpredictable events that keep us wondering what will happen nextwhat is going to happen next. The elements of surprise and suspense make them highly popular among audiences of all backgrounds and agesage. For instance, the most popular list of series in popular streaming services like Netflix are often crime series and they attract a wide range of viewers due to their gut-wrenching plots and surprising twists.

3

Another reason why they are so popular is that they also tell us about cautionary accounts involving criminals and victimsthe cautionary facets of criminals and victims, corruption, and social injustice, and warn us about falling prey toalert us about becoming prey to such heinous offences. This characteristic makes those series and novels personally relevant and impactful"personal" and "impactful" by forcing us to wonder about the crimes, corruption and victims repeatedlyover and over again. For instance, when we see or read a story about a famous psychopathicpsychopath killer like Ted Bundy or the Zodiac Killer and learn about their victims, it not only entertains us but also warns us about such criminals and their seemingly innocentinnocence presence in society.

4

In my opinion, those series and novels have useful purposes. They thoroughly entertain us by offering insight into criminal minds and their methodspresenting insights into criminal minds and their methodologies with masterful storytelling techniques while also warningalerting us about crimes by giving warnings and information from various real and fictional casesincidents.

5

In pithy, crime TV series and novels have gained significant popularity among audiences, and they serve useful purposes by entertaining and alerting us about crimes that happen around us.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.5

The response fully addresses both questions through two well-developed reasons and a consistently positive opinion, supported by specific examples and clear progression. Its main limitation is lexical precision: several ambitious expressions sound unnatural or convey the intended idea imprecisely. The highest-priority improvement is to replace inflated collocations with natural, exact phrasing while preserving the essay’s strong development and organization.

Band score breakdown

IELTS Writing Criteria Scores

TR

Task Response

8.0
Scoring rule

Both the reasons for popularity and the writer's opinion are directly addressed, well developed, and supported with relevant examples.

Next step

Refine the cautionary-value argument by explaining more precisely how crime fiction informs or protects its audience.

CC

Coherence and Cohesion

8.0
Scoring rule

The response follows a clear progression with focused paragraphs, effective sequencing, and well-managed referencing across the argument.

Next step

Reduce minor repetition between the opinion paragraph and conclusion to make the ending more economical.

LR

Lexical Resource

7.0
Scoring rule

A broad and flexible vocabulary supports detailed discussion, though several ambitious collocations are unnatural or imprecise.

Next step

Choose natural expressions for audience impact, criminal behaviour, and conclusions instead of inflated or awkward phrases.

GRA

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.5
Scoring rule

Varied complex sentences are generally accurate and easy to follow, with only occasional agreement and word-form errors.

Next step

Check noun modifiers and subject-verb agreement in longer sentences to remove the remaining slips.