Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-10-06

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 demonstrates the figures of lethal, critical and minor injuries inflicting from gunshots and knife crime in Great Britain from 1998 to 2007 and the proportion rise for each degree of wound over the period.

Overall, it can be seen that most of the injuries inflicted during the period of 2004 to 2005 followed by 2005 to 2006 while relatively lesser number of injuries happened during 1998 to 1999. Moreover, slight wounds accounted a major portion over the entire period, by contrast, fatal injuries contributed least. On the other hand, a considerable increase in percentage observed in slight injuries on the whole.

Looking at details, about 3921 cases of gunshot and knife crime occured in 2004 to 2005 followed by 3821 cases in 2005 to 2006. About 342% increase observed in total injuries over the period. In 1998 to 1999, only 864 cases were reported and significant increase occurred about 1195 incidents in 1999 to 2000. Slight injuries accounted a major portion as a degree of wound over the years followed by serious injuries. 405% increase observed in slight wounds over the years followed by 194% rise in serious injuries while fatal injuries accounted about 18% overall increase.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the prompt by summarising the main features of the table, such as the peak years of total crime in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006, and reporting percentage increases. However, some parts of the task are only partially addressed. The overview is somewhat limited and mechanical, merely listing peak years rather than identifying overarching trends clearly. Furthermore, some data points are slightly imprecise or under-developed, such as reporting 'about 3921 cases' when the exact figure is given, or missing details for 2006-2007. To reach a higher level, the writer should provide a more cohesive overview that captures the broader trajectory of all injury types over the ten-year period without relying purely on a fragmented list of isolated statistics.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response displays some basic organisation, dividing the text into an introduction, an overview, and body details. However, there is a lack of clear overall progression, and the logical flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. Cohesive devices are used, but they are sometimes mechanical or repetitive, such as 'Looking at details' and 'On the other hand,' which does not accurately signal a contrast here. Paragraphing is present, but the internal grouping of ideas lacks smooth transitions. To improve Coherence and Cohesion, the writer needs to ensure that sentences are linked more naturally with a wider variety of cohesive ties, and that the progression of ideas from the overview to the specific data points is logical and seamless.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic trends and figures. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'inflicting', 'proportion rise', and 'inflicted', but these often suffer from awkward word choice, collocation issues, or incorrect word forms. For instance, injuries are 'inflicted by' or 'result from', rather than 'inflicting from'. Similarly, 'proportion rise' is less natural than 'percentage increase'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but lexical errors cause some minor strain for the reader. To achieve a higher band, the writer should expand their range of functional vocabulary for describing data, ensuring precise word choice and natural collocations when discussing statistics and trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response demonstrates a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple constructions and basic subject-verb patterns. Attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty, leading to grammatical errors in verb forms, prepositions, and voice. For example, the sentence 'minor injuries inflicting from gunshots' misuses the participle, and 'accounted a major portion' lacks the necessary preposition 'for'. Frequent errors are present throughout the text, including missing articles and awkward passive/active transitions, which occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. To improve in this area, the writer needs to practise forming accurate complex sentences, pay closer attention to verb patterns and prepositions, and reduce the frequency of basic grammatical slips.

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

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