Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-11-02

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 supplied bar graph illustrates the percieved danger and actual likelihood of becoming a victim of three different types of crime, namely burglary, car crime and violent crime, during the periods 2009/10 and 2010/11.

Overall, it can be seen that the percieved risk of becoming a victim of crime was considerably higher than the actual likelihood in all three categories. Furthermore, car crime was considered most commen threat, whereas violent crimes had the lowest percevied and actual rates. Notebly both figure decline slightly in second year.

Looking at the percieved figure,car crime recorded the highest percentage,at approximately 20% in year 2009/10. before falling to 16% in 2010/11. Similarly, the proportion of people who believed they might experience burglary decreased from around 15%to 12%. A comparable downward trend can be observed in violent crime, with the percieved likelihood droppong from approximately 14% to 11%.

In contrast, the actual likelihood of expirience of victime are the gradualy lower but in burglary it rise and for car crime and violent crime it stay nearly constant and

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main contrast accurately: perceived risk is much higher than actual victimisation, and car crime has the highest perceived figure. You also report the general fall in perceived figures. However, some details are inaccurate: violent crime’s perceived rate is about 15.5% in 2009/10 and 13.5% in 2010/11, not approximately 14% and 11%, and it is not the lowest perceived category in the first year; burglary is slightly lower. The final paragraph is unfinished and does not clearly report the actual figures. In fact, actual rates rise slightly for all three crimes, rather than remaining constant for car crime or falling overall. A complete comparison of the actual data and a more precise overview would make the summary more fully informative.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for perceived and actual figures. This gives the reader a useful starting point, and phrases such as “Overall” and “In contrast” signal the intended relationships. However, the progression breaks down in the final paragraph, which ends mid-sentence (“and”) and leaves the actual-data comparison incomplete. Some transitions and punctuation also interrupt the flow, as in “2009/10. before falling” and the crowded phrase “Looking at the percieved figure,car crime”. Keep each paragraph focused on a complete comparison, and use linking expressions to show how the figures change across both years and crime types. Clearer sentence boundaries and a finished conclusion to the data discussion would strengthen cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of task vocabulary, including “bar graph,” “percentage,” “proportion,” “recorded,” and “downward trend,” and the distinction between perceived and actual risk is generally clear. There are, however, noticeable spelling errors in key terms, such as “percieved,” “commen,” “Notebly,” “droppong,” and “expirience.” Some word combinations are also unnatural or imprecise: “most commen threat” and “actual likelihood of expirience of victime” make the meaning harder to follow. Aim for accurate, natural collocations such as “the most commonly perceived threat” and “the actual likelihood of becoming a victim.” More precise vocabulary would also help distinguish a small increase from a stable rate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including “Furthermore, car crime was considered…” and “A comparable downward trend can be observed…”. Some sentence patterns are controlled, but errors in verb forms, agreement, and sentence construction sometimes make the data difficult to interpret. For example, “the actual likelihood … are the gradualy lower” has faulty agreement and an unclear structure, while “in burglary it rise” and “it stay nearly constant” use incorrect verb forms. The final sentence is also incomplete, and the full stop before “before falling” incorrectly separates a dependent continuation. Practise forming complete comparisons with a clear subject and verb, and check tense and agreement consistently when describing changes over time.

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

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