IELTS Writing Task 2: Crime & Rehabilitation

Build target legal vocabulary, master essential modal structures, and draft a balanced 4-paragraph essay.

👨‍🏫 Teacher's Guide

Give 55 minutes. Let students do Module 1 first, then check the answers together before they write.

🎯 Learner's Steps

Do these first, then plan and write your essay.

1. The state decided to proceed with the legal (prosecute) of the company.

2. Research suggests that long-term (imprison) does not always deter repeat criminal behaviour.

3. First-time (offence) are often sentenced to restorative community duties.

4. Detectives required reasonable (suspect) before taking the driver into custody.

5. Effective victim support programs ensure that vulnerable citizens are not (victim) again by prolonged court delays.

6. Individuals who ___ an offence for the first time should receive rehabilitation.

7. After extensive debate, the jurors were unable to ___ a unanimous verdict.

8. Judges can ___ a heavy penalty on people who repeat a crime.

9. The prosecution decided to ___ a key witness to the stand.

10. Prior to hearing opening statements, the court clerk will ___ in a jury of twelve citizens.

11. Prisons physically isolate violent individuals from the public. ___, they reinforce a clear moral boundary for acceptable societal conduct.

12. ___, rehabilitation produces far lower rates of repeat crime than pure detention does.

13. Many ex-convicts leave correctional facilities without practical trade skills. ___, finding legitimate work proves exceptionally difficult.

14. Community orders offer direct payback to local neighbourhoods. ___, offenders can clean public parks or repaint vandalised buildings.

15. Prison sentences offer instant deterrence. ___, they impose enormous financial costs on taxpayers.

"Putting criminals in prison keeps normal people safe."

Fill in the blank with the gerund form of 'imprison' or 'incarcerate':

"Community service helps bad people learn good new habits."

Complete the formal rewrite with an appropriate noun for people who break the law:

"The judge must examine the crime carefully in court."

Complete the academic noun phrase:

19. The defendant ___ listened to his lawyer before giving his answer in court, but he refused.

20. In non-violent cases, offenders should ___ clean urban spaces rather than be jailed.

21. Society ought to have ___ juvenile delinquency earlier through community outreach.

Module 2: Plan and write your essay

Analyze the prompt, align your essay with the four-paragraph architecture, and write your full essay response.

Paraphrase the prompt and introduce both arguments neutrally before stating your thesis.

Say why some people like prison.

Say why others like community service.

Summarize the main contentions and state your definitive viewpoint without new evidence.

In this essay I will discuss whether prison is the best way to deal with crime or whether alternative options such as community service give better long-term results.

Some people believe that prison sentences are necessary to keep order. Prison ensures that people who commit serious crimes are kept away from the public. In addition, strict prison sentences provide justice for the victim and serve as a clear warning to others. Supporters argue that offenders should have thought about the severe consequences before choosing to disobey the law; therefore, formal punishment remains fully justified.

However, others argue that alternative punishments give better long-term results. When non-violent lawbreakers are made to carry out unpaid community service, they learn personal discipline and give back to neighbourhoods damaged by their actions. For instance, maintaining public grounds offers valuable work experience that prevents reoffending. Furthermore, young offenders ought to have been guided toward job training instead of mixing with hardened criminals in overcrowded prisons. In my view, constructive reform is far more beneficial than being locked up.

In conclusion, while traditional prison remains necessary for dangerous criminals, mandatory community service is a better punishment for minor offences. Governments should expand practical rehabilitation to build a safer society.