Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-08-30

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 data provided in the table reveals gun and knife crime statistics and the of Great Britain from 1998 to 2007.

Overall, the total number of crimes recorded by guns and knife increased over the years and also the rate of degree of injury increased.

Over the period, total number injuries increased as the years passed. The year which recorded the highest number of total injuries was [redacted phone]. In this year, the slightest harm caused by weapons was also the peaked with 3424 injuries. The other upcoming had 476 serious injuries which was the year with second highest injuries. The year with most fatal injuries was [redacted phone] with then number 95.

Comparing the injuries, serious and slight injuries kept increasing till 2007. Serious injuries recorded in 1998 were 162 and by 2006 it went upto nearly 500. Similarly, slight injuries increased from 653 to 3426 by 2006 and 3296 by 2007.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses the task by identifying main trends and selecting data points. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you mention the overall increase, you fail to effectively compare the categories (fatal, serious, slight) in a way that highlights the most significant differences. The inclusion of the percentage increase data, which was a key part of the prompt, is entirely omitted. To reach a higher band, ensure you synthesize the data rather than just listing figures. The overview is present but lacks detail regarding the specific nature of the trends observed across the different injury categories.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed. For example, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is abrupt. The use of cohesive devices is limited and occasionally mechanical (e.g., 'Similarly', 'In this year'). Some sentences lack logical flow, such as 'The other upcoming had 476 serious injuries', which is unclear. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear focus would significantly enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You rely on basic verbs like 'increased' and 'recorded' repeatedly. There are also some awkward phrasings, such as 'the slightest harm caused by weapons was also the peaked' and 'the other upcoming', which indicate a limited control over collocation and word choice. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'increase' (e.g., 'surged', 'climbed', 'witnessed an upward trend') and ensure that your terminology is used accurately in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'the of Great Britain', 'the rate of degree of injury', and 'with then number 95'. Subject-verb agreement and article usage are inconsistent throughout the text. While the meaning is generally understandable, these recurring errors prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensuring sentence structures are complete and correctly punctuated will help you improve your score.

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

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