Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-09-12

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 7.5)

The graph compares people’s perceived danger of becoming victims of different types of crime with the actual likelihood of experiencing these crimes.

Overall, it is clear that people tend to overestimate the risk of some crimes while underestimating others. In particular, the perceived risk of burglary and car theft is considerably higher than the actual likelihood, whereas the opposite is true for violent crime.

Burglary is perceived to be the most likely crime, with approximately one in three people believing that they could become victims. However, the actual figure is much lower, at around one in ten. A similar pattern can be seen in relation to car theft. Although a relatively high proportion of people consider this a likely event, the actual likelihood is significantly lower.

By contrast, people appear to underestimate the risk of violent crime. The perceived likelihood is relatively low, but the actual percentage of people who become victims is noticeably higher. This represents the largest difference between perception and reality among the crime categories shown.

Overall, the graph demonstrates a clear mismatch between people’s fears about crime and their actual chances of becoming victims. Crimes such as burglary and car theft are generally considered more likely than they really are, while violent crime is underestimated.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by selecting, reporting, and comparing the main features of the graph regarding the perceived danger and actual likelihood of being a victim of crime. The overview accurately captures the general trend that people overestimate certain crimes while underestimating others. Key features such as burglary, car theft, and violent crime are clearly highlighted with appropriate comparisons, such as noting that 'the perceived risk of burglary and car theft is considerably higher than the actual likelihood'. Ideas are well developed and supported by data points from the visual information (e.g., 'approximately one in three people believing that they could become victims'). The task is fully and effectively completed without any notable omissions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with a helpful introductory paraphrase, moves into a clear overview paragraph, elaborates on specific data in the body paragraphs, and concludes with a succinct summary. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the visual data. Cohesive devices are managed well throughout the text, utilising markers such as 'Overall', 'In particular', 'whereas', and 'By contrast' to establish clear logical relationships between ideas. Referencing is clear and unambiguous, ensuring the reader can effortlessly follow the comparisons being made.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The student demonstrates a wide and flexible vocabulary range suited to an Academic Task 1 response. Less common lexical items and collocations are used skillfully, such as 'perceived danger', 'actual likelihood', 'considerably higher', and 'mismatch between people’s fears about crime and their actual chances'. Word choice and collocations are generally accurate and natural, displaying good awareness of style appropriate for academic writing (e.g., 'a relatively high proportion', 'noticeably higher'). Spelling and word formation are entirely accurate throughout the text, contributing to smooth communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response features a wide variety of complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses ('while underestimating others', 'although a relatively high proportion of people consider this a likely event'), relative clauses, and contrasting structures. The majority of sentences are error-free, displaying excellent control of grammar and punctuation. There are no noticeable grammatical errors or awkward phrasings that impede communication. Verb tenses are used consistently and correctly to describe the visual information. The syntactic variety and high level of accuracy place this response firmly in the higher band brackets.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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