Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-10-16

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 given bar graph illustrates the observed and real possibilities of being a target of offence.

Overall, it is clear that public perception of danger was significantly higher than the actual rates of crime across all the categories and both time periods.

In terms of public perception, car crime was feared the most in 2009/10, approximately 21% of people anticipated being a victim of car crime,which experienced a slight decline to around 18% in 2010/11,while the actual crime remain almost 4% in both time spans.

However, bulgary and violent crimes were

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the chart’s central contrast accurately: perceived risk is much higher than actual victimisation in both periods, and you correctly note that car crime has the highest perceived figure in 2009/10. However, the response is incomplete and does not summarise the chart sufficiently. It ends mid-sentence at “bulgary and violent crimes were,” so the reader receives no comparison of those categories or account of their actual rates. The stated 2010/11 perception figure for car crime is around 18%, whereas the chart indicates approximately 17%; “almost 4%” for actual car crime is broadly close to the chart’s 4.5%. The response also falls 59 words short of the required minimum. Include a complete overview and select key figures for all three crime types and both years.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic, understandable sequence: an introduction, an overview beginning “Overall,” and a detail sentence introduced by “In terms of public perception.” “However” signals a further comparison, but the response stops immediately afterward, leaving the final paragraph and the comparison unfinished. As a result, the organisation has a recognisable start but no complete progression through the chart. The long detail sentence also combines several points with commas, making the relationships between them less clear. Develop separate, complete comparisons—for example, perceived figures first and actual figures second—and use paragraphing and linking expressions to guide the reader through the categories and years.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of chart-related vocabulary, including “public perception,” “actual rates,” “decline,” and “anticipated,” and the main meaning is generally clear. Some choices are less natural or precise for this task: “observed and real possibilities” is an awkward description of perceived and actual likelihood, while “target of offence” is not idiomatic. “Bulgary” is also misspelled, and “crime remain” does not fit the intended meaning. The limited response gives little evidence of flexible vocabulary across the full chart. Prefer standard reporting language such as “perceived likelihood,” “actual victimisation,” and “the figure fell,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response shows some ability to use both simple and more complex forms. The overview sentence is complete and communicates a clear comparison, and the detail sentence attempts to combine a figure, a change over time, and an actual rate. However, some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. In “car crime,which experienced,” a space is needed after the comma, and the long sentence would be clearer if divided into shorter clauses. “The actual crime remain” has a subject–verb agreement problem; a suitable form would be “the actual rate remained.” The final clause, “bulgary and violent crimes were,” is incomplete. Aim to finish each sentence and maintain consistent past-tense reporting when describing the two periods.

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

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