Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-08-24
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The graph below shows the perceived danger and actual likelihood of being a victim of crime.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Perceived and actual likelihood of being a victim of crime: by crime type
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The bar chart illustrates the comparison of the risks of burglary, car crimes and violent crimes. Furthermore, a rational possibility of being a victim of these crimes over the period between 2009 and 2011.
Overall, the rates of these felonies have surged over those years. The number of the car related crimes from 2009 to 2010 reached its peak. The lawbreaking of mugging was at its lowest percentage in that time.
Within the period between 2009 and 2010, the ratio of these three violations soared, especially perceived vehicle stealing. It made up 22% of the total rate. However, the embezzlement and violent crimes shared the same percentage, which is approximately 15%.
From 2010 to 2011, the ratio of real offending remained almost stable except for car crimes, and it constituted 4%. The proportion of expected possibility of these unlawful acts were diminished than the past years. The car crimes in that period were shared for 17%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to summarise the data but fails to clearly distinguish between 'perceived danger' and 'actual likelihood', which is the core of the task. The description of the data is often inaccurate; for instance, stating that crime rates 'surged' is not supported by the provided graph, which shows specific percentages for different categories. The report lacks a clear overview of the main trends and fails to make meaningful comparisons between the two categories (perceived vs. actual). The data points mentioned are often vague or incorrectly interpreted, leading to a failure to cover the requirements of the task adequately.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs is abrupt. While some cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall' and 'However', they are sometimes used incorrectly or do not effectively link the ideas. The referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison between the perceived and actual crime statistics. The structure feels somewhat mechanical, and the flow of information is hindered by the lack of clear thematic grouping.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is limited and sometimes inappropriate for an academic report. Phrases like 'lawbreaking of mugging' and 'expected possibility' are unnatural and imprecise. There is a reliance on basic vocabulary, and the attempt to use more complex terms often results in errors in collocation or meaning (e.g., 'the ratio of real offending remained almost stable'). While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of precision and the repetitive use of simple structures limit the score. A wider range of topic-specific vocabulary related to statistics and crime is needed.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include incorrect article usage ('the lawbreaking of mugging'), subject-verb agreement problems, and awkward phrasing ('the car crimes in that period were shared for 17%'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction often lacks the control required for higher bands. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable and detract from the overall quality of the writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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