In this post: A model outline and two model body paragraphs, a causes-and-solutions outline, the most common mistakes with a checklist, and three practice questions with suggested outlines.
Crime and Justice · 3 parts
- 1. Common questions and 8 arguments
- 2. Collocations and note sentences
- 3. Models, mistakes and practice (you are here)
✦ In this post
5. Models: one outline and two body paragraphs
Model outline: should offenders go to prison, or receive education and training? (Discuss both views)
| Paragraph | Content |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Paraphrase the question + position: While prison is necessary for dangerous offenders, I believe education and training bring greater long-term benefits. |
| Body 1 (prison side) | Punishment 1 + Punishment 2 (see Part 1): prison protects the public, and strict punishment deters potential offenders (examples: violent crime; countries with strict laws are often cited) |
| Body 2 (education side + my view) | Rehabilitation 1 + Rehabilitation 2: vocational training means a job after release; legal education tackles the root causes of crime |
| Conclusion | Restate both sides + a conditional position: dangerous offenders still need to be imprisoned, but education and training should be provided during their sentences |
Model body paragraph 1 (prison side: writing the other view in full)
(Model) On the one hand, those who support imprisonment argue that it protects society and discourages crime. Most obviously, offenders cannot harm the public while they are behind bars, which is particularly important in cases of violent crime. In addition, strict prison sentences send a clear message that crime does not pay. If potential offenders know that they are likely to be caught and severely punished, many of them will decide that the risk is simply not worth taking. Countries with strict laws, such as Singapore, are often cited as examples of how firm punishment can contribute to a low crime rate.
The key points: the other view also gets two reasons, and each reason has a “why” (behind bars → cannot harm anyone; cost outweighs gain → decide not to offend). Singapore is introduced with are often cited as examples and can contribute to, which avoids claiming a single cause and effect.
Model body paragraph 2 (education side: adding the missing reasoning to my notes)
(Model) On the other hand, I believe that providing offenders with education and training is more effective in the long run. Many people return to crime simply because they have no other way to support themselves after release. If prisoners learn practical skills such as cooking or electrical repair while serving their sentences, they are far more likely to find stable jobs, and a steady income removes one of the main reasons to reoffend. Moreover, legal and moral education helps offenders understand how their actions have affected their victims. Once they truly recognise this harm, they are less likely to commit similar crimes again, thereby reducing the crime rate.
What changed: I kept the two reasons from my notes (life skills, telling right from wrong) and added the two missing steps: “find a stable job → one less reason to reoffend” and “understand the harm to victims → not want to offend again”. Furthermore decreasing became thereby reducing, and lawbreakers, culprits and criminals were all unified as offenders, to avoid changing words just for the sake of it.
Model outline 2: causes of and solutions to rising crime (Two-question)
| Paragraph | Content |
|---|---|
| Cause 1 | Unemployment and poverty: people with no income are more likely to take desperate risks |
| Cause 2 | Dysfunctional families: teenagers lack parental supervision and are easily recruited by gangs (borrowing the “gangs use students” example from my notes) |
| Solution 1 | Vocational training and job matching reduce the economic motive for crime (matches Cause 1) |
| Solution 2 | After-school support at schools and in communities, plus youth centres, fill the gap left by families (matches Cause 2) |
6. Common mistakes
| Common mistake | Why it’s wrong | Better version |
|---|---|---|
| If those young people are prisoned | Prison is a noun, not a verb | are imprisoned / are sent to prison |
| be sent to a prison / prisons | No article when you mean prison as an institution | be sent to prison |
| The police is… / a police | Police is a plural collective noun | The police are… / a police officer |
| enlighten students to do drug trafficking | Enlighten means to give insight; the meaning is the opposite | lure students into drug trafficking |
| conduct inappropriate behavior | Too general; not the language of a crime essay | commit crimes / engage in criminal behaviour |
| enable sb capable of V-ing | Enable is followed by to + verb | enable them to find jobs |
| , furthermore decreasing… | Furthermore cannot be followed by a participle | , thereby reducing… |
| Singapore has a low crime rate, so harsh punishment works | A single cause and effect; the argument isn’t rigorous | is often cited as an example / can contribute to |
| A study shows reoffending fell by 40% | Invented data; the examiner can’t accept it | Use a hypothetical situation instead: If prisoners learned…, they would… |
Checklist before you finish
- ☐ In the introduction, have you decided what punishment is for (retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation), and is your position consistent?
- ☐ In a Discuss both views essay, does the other view’s paragraph have two reasons and an example?
- ☐ For each argument, have you written the step in the middle (why it deters, why education reduces reoffending)?
- ☐ Have you used prison, police and crime with the right countability?
- ☐ Do your examples avoid single causes and invented data?
- ☐ Are you changing synonyms just for the sake of it (rotating criminals, culprits and lawbreakers)?
7. Practice questions (with suggested outlines)
Practice 1 (Agree / Disagree)
Some people think that longer prison sentences are the best way to reduce crime. Do you agree?
Show the suggested outline
Position: disagree.
- Body 1: long sentences can turn prison into a “school of crime” and make it harder to return to society after release → borrow Rehabilitation 3
- Body 2: the chance of being caught and the prospect of a job after release affect whether people offend more than the length of the sentence → borrow Rehabilitation 1 and Reintegration 1
- Concession: for violent crime, longer sentences still protect the public → borrow Punishment 1
Topic sentence: Longer sentences are not the most effective solution, because prison often fails to address the reasons why people commit crimes.
Practice 2 (Agree / Disagree)
Some people think that those who commit minor crimes should do community service rather than go to prison. Do you agree?
Show the suggested outline
Position: agree.
- Body 1: community service lets offenders give something back directly to the community they harmed, which helps them understand the consequences of their actions better than prison
- Body 2: it keeps minor offenders away from serious criminals in prison and also saves the public cost of imprisonment → borrow Rehabilitation 3
- Concession: repeat or violent offenders should still be imprisoned
Topic sentence: Community service allows minor offenders to repair the harm they have caused while avoiding the negative influence of prison.
Practice 3 (Two-question)
People released from prison often find it difficult to get a job. Why is this? What can governments and companies do?
Show the suggested outline
Body 1 (causes):
- Cause 1: employers have doubts about a criminal record and worry about safety and their image
- Cause 2: time in prison cuts people off from the workplace, so they lack up-to-date skills
Body 2 (solutions):
- Solution 1: the government subsidises companies that hire ex-offenders → borrow Reintegration 1
- Solution 2: offer vocational training and qualification courses during the sentence → borrow Rehabilitation 1
Topic sentence: One major reason why ex-offenders struggle to find work is that many employers are reluctant to hire people with a criminal record.
Crime essays don’t require you to memorise lots of legal terms. What they need is a clear idea of what punishment is for, and then the middle step of each argument written out. I spent extra time organising these arguments precisely because I didn’t know this topic well at the time. I hope this post helps you write more than two slogans when a crime question appears in the exam. The next topic guide covers population and society: ageing, young populations, public spending and family responsibility.
Further reading
- How to write a Discuss both views essay
- The grammar mistakes I was corrected for most: plurals, articles and prepositions
- Task 2 Topic Vocabulary (Part 2): quick list of crime and prison words
- How to paraphrase without losing marks
- A general Task 2 framework: introduction, topic sentences, lines of reasoning and conclusion
- IELTS study notes overview (in Chinese)
This is the last part of “Crime and Justice”. To start again, go back to Part 1.
IELTS Notes in English · Topic Guides (post 9 of 10)
← Previous: IELTS Task 2 Topic Guide: Culture and the Arts
Next →: IELTS Task 2 Topic Guide: Population and Society
Task 1 Structure · Task 2 Structure · Topic Guides · Writing Language · Band Score Samples · Practice Methods · Speaking & Study Tips
✦ Target Your Future
Some days you practise for hours and the score still does not move. I hope these notes remind you that the setbacks are part of the road: every recording you replayed, every essay you rewrote and every sentence you finally dared to say is progress you have already made.
I wrote this down so the next person can take fewer detours. You do not have to follow my method exactly. Find a rhythm that works for you, rest when you need to, and come back for the next small step.
I hope what you take away is more than a number on a score report: a little more confidence in yourself, and the courage to step a bit closer to the world.
— Ting
← Back to IELTS notes in English
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