IELTS Task 2 sample essay: Longer Prison Sentences
DiscussionCrime and law
The question
Some people believe longer prison sentences are the best way to reduce crime. Others think there are better ways. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Try writing your own answer first, then compare. Reading a model before you write tends to make you copy it.
The plan
Position: Longer sentences have a place for serious crimes, but prevention and rehabilitation reduce crime more.
- View A: long sentences deter and keep dangerous people away from the public.
- View B and my view: certainty of being caught matters more than length; tackling causes and rehabilitation cut reoffending.
Model answer
284 wordsPeople disagree about how best to reduce crime. Some believe that longer prison sentences are the most effective deterrent, while others argue that the money would be better spent on other approaches. In my view, long sentences have a place for the most serious crimes, but prevention and rehabilitation reduce crime far more effectively.
Those who favour longer sentences make two main arguments. First, they believe the threat of many years in prison discourages people from committing crimes in the first place. Second, a dangerous offender who is in prison cannot harm the public, so longer sentences offer direct protection, particularly from violent criminals who are likely to strike again. For victims and their families, a long sentence can also feel like a proper recognition of the harm that was done.
However, there is good reason to doubt that longer sentences reduce crime overall. Many offences are committed on impulse, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or by people who simply do not expect to be caught, so the length of a possible sentence hardly enters their thinking. Research on deterrence generally suggests that the certainty of being caught matters far more than the severity of the punishment. Moreover, long periods in prison often leave people without jobs, homes or family support, which makes reoffending after release more likely.
For these reasons, I believe that resources are better invested in effective policing, support for young people at risk and rehabilitation programmes that prepare prisoners for work.
In conclusion, longer sentences can protect the public from the most dangerous offenders, but as a general strategy they are less effective than preventing crime and reducing reoffending, which is where most of the effort should go.
Scored by the MyBandPrep checker on 7 October 2026. An estimate, not an examiner’s mark. How scoring works
Why it works
- Task Response
- Both views are explained fairly, and the opinion is stated in the introduction, developed in the third paragraph and confirmed in the conclusion.
- Coherence and Cohesion
- View A is organised with “First” and “Second”; the shift to view B is marked once with “However”.
- Lexical Resource
- Precise topic vocabulary: “deterrent”, “on impulse”, “certainty of being caught”, “severity of the punishment”.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- Varied complex sentences, accurate passives and a well-controlled comparative (“matters far more than”).
Phrases worth reusing
- the most effective deterrent
- committed on impulse
- the certainty of being caught matters far more than the severity of the punishment
- a proper recognition of the harm that was done
- young people at risk
Compare: a band 6 version
238 wordsThe same question, answered the way many essays stuck at band 6 are. Read it, then the notes below.
Crime is a big problem in many countries today. Some people think that long prison sentences are the best way to reduce crime, while other people believe that there are better ways. This essay will discuss both views and give my opinion.
On the one hand, some people believe that long prison sentences can stop crime. When criminals know that they will go to prison for many years, they will be afraid and they will not commit crime. Also, when dangerous criminals are in prison, they cannot hurt other people, so the society is safer. For example, in some countries the punishment are very strict and the crime rate is low.
On the other hand, other people think that prison is not the best way to reduce crime. In prison, criminals meet other criminals and they can learn more about crime. When they leave prison, it is difficult for them to find job, so they may commit crimes again. Moreover, prisons are very expensive for the government. The government can use this money in education and jobs for young people, so they do not become criminals.
In my opinion, both views have good points. Long prison sentences are necessary for dangerous criminals, but education is also very important to prevent crime.
In conclusion, there are different ways to reduce crime. I believe that the government should use long prison sentences for serious crimes and education for young people.
What holds it back
- Grammar slips: “commit crime”, “find job”, “money in education”, “the punishment are”.
- The opinion appears late and stays vague (“both views have good points”), without saying which approach reduces crime more.
- Ideas are stated, not developed: the essay assumes criminals think about sentences without examining whether they do.
- The example about strict countries is unsupported and could suggest the opposite of what it claims.
- A memorised framing sentence and small slips (“the society is safer”).
Now write your own
Answer this question in 40 minutes and get an estimated band with the sentences to fix.