Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-08-24

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The table shows the number of fatal, serious and slight injuries resulting from gun and knife crime in Great Britain from 1998 to 2007 and the percentage increase for each degree of injury over the period.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Great Britain - Gun and Knife Crime statistics - 1998-2007

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The table presents information about the degree of injuries resulting from gun and knife crime in Great Britain between 1998 to 2007.

Overall, illegal activity increased significantly during the period. Minor crime accounted largest share throughout the period whereas fatal crime represented smallest share.

Between 1998 to 1999, 864 injury rates were reported. Crime injury slightly increased to 1195 in 1999 to 2000. Minor crime injury rose gradually from 864 to 3821 in [redacted phone], which was the highest. Serious crime injury reached to 476 in [redacted phone] rising from 162 in [redacted phone]. Fatal crime injury increased slightly from 49 to 77 between[redacted phone] then it fall around 58 in between 2006 to 2007.

Between 1998 to 2007, 342 was the total injury reported from the crime. In which 405 was slight, 194 was serious and 18 was fatal. There was decline in crime rate between 2006 to 2007 where only 58 fatal was reported.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the data, such as the overall increase in crime and the breakdown by injury severity. However, the reporting of data is inconsistent and contains significant inaccuracies. For example, the statement '342 was the total injury reported' is confusing and does not align with the provided table figures. Furthermore, the comparison of percentages is missing, which was a key requirement of the prompt. While the main trends are identified, the lack of precision in data reporting and the failure to synthesize the percentage increase information limits the score to a 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is often disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inaccurate, such as the abrupt transition in the final paragraph. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to track which figures correspond to which years or categories. While there is an overall attempt at a logical arrangement, the lack of smooth transitions and the confusing presentation of data points hinder the flow of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher band. There is some repetition of terms like 'crime' and 'injury'. Some word choices are unnatural or imprecise, such as 'minor crime accounted largest share' (missing 'the') and 'it fall around 58'. The range of vocabulary is limited, and the student struggles to use more sophisticated terminology to describe trends or statistical changes. To improve, the student should focus on using more varied verbs and nouns related to data analysis.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but grammatical errors are frequent and occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include missing articles ('accounted largest share'), incorrect preposition usage ('between 1998 to 2007' should be 'between 1998 and 2007'), and tense inconsistencies ('it fall' instead of 'it fell'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly regarding the spacing around dates and numbers. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic sentence construction prevents a higher score.

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

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