Stories about criminal activity, both fictional and real-life, have become increasingly popular over the last few decades. There are many possible reasons for this, but the two primary ones that I can think of are the underlying desire of people to see good overcome evil, and a fascination with criminal lifestyles. , whether in print or on TV, are about good people, such as detectives and law-abiding civilians, triumphing over bad people, namely criminals. We often see this in fictional detective stories, where an otherwise ordinary person uses their intellect and skill to identify evil criminal masterminds. A good example of this is Miss Marple, an elderly woman who always manages to . A second reason is that people have a fascination with the lives of criminals. Perhaps this is to do with people’s need for escapism. One of the most popular crime dramas in the UK of the last 20 years was ‘Legend’, a dramatisation of the lives of the Kray Twins, two violent London gang leaders of the 1960s. The film, which I watched on TV, portrayed their violent behaviour, along with their opulent and chaotic lifestyles, and I do feel that people find this compelling viewing, despite how it shows evil people succeeding. Personally, unless it is related to real-life stories, I have little interest in either crime fiction or crime drama. I find their plots too repetitive. With true crime stories, however, I can learn something about social history and psychology. Why, for example, do people turn to lives of crime? Is it simply for money, or are they motivated by power as well? And what causes people to join gangs and follow people like the Krays? These are all interesting questions. In summary, a desire to see good triumph over evil, along with a fascination with evil, are two reasons I think underlie the popularity of crime stories, but my interest in them is mainly limited to dramatisations of real lives.
Sample response & feedback
Popularity of Crime Fiction and TV Dramas
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.
Annotated response
11 correction notes
Overall assessment
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response answers both questions with a clear preference and relevant examples, including Miss Marple and the Kray twins. Its strongest feature is the logical development of two plausible reasons for popularity. To strengthen the argument, explain more explicitly why detective success satisfies audiences and how unusual criminal lifestyles provide escapism; additional reasons are not necessary. The distinction between true crime and fictionalised drama could also be clearer.
IELTS criteria
How each score was decided
TR Task Response
8.0Both questions are fully addressed with a clear position, well-developed ideas, and relevant extended examples from knowledge and experience.
CC Coherence and Cohesion
8.0The discussion moves logically from moral resolution to fascination with criminal lifestyles, then to the writer’s personal preference. Connectives make these stages clear, although the supplied text forms one paragraph rather than visibly separated paragraphs.
LR Lexical Resource
8.0Vocabulary is wide and precise, with natural collocations such as 'law-abiding civilians', 'criminal masterminds', and 'opulent and chaotic lifestyles', and only rare minor slips.
GRA Grammatical Range and Accuracy
8.0A wide range of structures is used flexibly and accurately, including complex relative and conditional forms, with errors being rare and non-impeding.