Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-10-01

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 compares the number of injuries from gun and knife crimes based on three categories in great britain from 1998 to 2007.

Overall, the number of injuries increased as the year progresses. Similarly, the slight degree of injuries was the highest across the years while the fatal injuries were the least type of injury.Additionally a sharp rise in number of injuries was recorded towards the end of the period.

The fatal type of injury was the least among the injury types across the years. The highest fatal injury was recorded in [redacted phone] with about 95 injuries, then [redacted phone] with 80 injuries. [redacted phone] recorded about 72 injuries. However the least fatal injury was recorded in 1998 and 2005 with 49 injuries. Serious injuries had a modest number of injuries with 2005 recording the highest number of injury at 476, then 2003 with 437 injuries and 2002 with 416 injuries. However the least number of serious injury was recorded in 1998 with 162 injuries.

The slight categories had the largest number of injuries across the years. with 2004 recording the highest number at 3424 injuries, nearly times five of the serious injury. Then following closely is the year 2005 with 3296 injuries then 2003 with 1862 injuries almost half of the preceding year. From 1998 there was a gradual increase in number of injuries. However 2004 and 2005 experienced a sharp rise in the number of injuries. 2006 recorded the least number of injuries with only 58 fatal injuries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the main features of the table, providing an overview and selecting data points to report, such as the highest and lowest figures for different categories of injury. However, the selection and reporting are somewhat mechanical and fail to fully articulate comparisons where relevant. Furthermore, there are several data inaccuracies in the text; for instance, the writer states that 'the highest fatal injury was recorded in 2001-2002 with about 95 injuries', which matches the data, but later claims that '2006 recorded the least number of injuries with only 58 fatal injuries' when the table actually shows 58 fatal injuries in 2006-2007 alongside missing data for other categories. The overview touches upon general trends ('increased as the year progresses' and 'slight degree of injuries was the highest'), but the information is limited and under-developed. To reach a higher level, the response needs to present a more accurate overview of all provided data without factual discrepancies and integrate comparisons more effectively across the entire time span.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response exhibits some organization with an introduction, a clear overview paragraph, and body paragraphs dedicated to specific injury types. However, there is no clear overall progression across the text, and the logical flow is occasionally disrupted. Cohesive devices are used, but they tend to be repetitive or somewhat mechanical, such as the frequent reliance on 'however' and 'then'. Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of information is disjointed; for example, details about fatal, serious, and slight injuries are compressed or awkwardly transitioned within paragraphs without a robust overarching structure. Referencing is also occasionally unclear. To improve, the writer should ensure a smoother, more logical progression of ideas between paragraphs and vary cohesive devices more naturally.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic concepts about crime statistics, injuries, and time periods. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary items (e.g., 'modest', 'preceding'), but these are often accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice, collocation, and phrasing (e.g., 'least type of injury', 'fatal type of injury', 'nearly times five of the serious injury'). Spelling is generally acceptable, but punctuation and word formation errors (such as lowercase 'great britain') detract from the overall lexical control. To achieve a higher band, the student needs to use a wider and more precise range of vocabulary with accurate collocations and better control over stylistic phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response displays a limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside some straightforward complex forms. Attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty, leading to structural awkwardness (e.g., 'The slight categories had the largest number of injuries across the years. with 2004 recording...'). There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles (e.g., 'across the years'), capitalization issues (e.g., 'great britain'), and awkward prepositional phrases or relative clauses. While these errors rarely completely obscure the message, they are frequent enough to cause some difficulty for the reader. To progress, the student must incorporate a greater variety of complex grammatical structures and improve overall accuracy, particularly with verb agreement, articles, and punctuation.

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