Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-10-20

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 gives information about the total injuries incurred by gun and knife crimes in Great Britain between the years 1998 and 2007.

In the years between 1998 and 1999, there were a total of 864 crimes reported. Out of the 864 crimes reported;49 cases were fatal injuries,162 serious and 653 minor injuries. In 1999/2000, it showed a slight increase, totaling to 1195 injuries reported. There is an increase of over 500 crimes than the last year.

In the years 2000,2001,2002,2003 and 2004, the table showed a gradual increase in the number of crimes reaching a total of 2367 crimes reported in the year 2004 . The years 2001 and 2002 recorded the highest number of fatal injuries i.e. 95. The year with most minor injuries between 2000 and 2004 is 2004 with more than 3400 injuries reported.

The years 2004 and 2005 recorded the highest number of total crimes reported totaling to more than 3900. 77 fatal injuries, 411 serious injuries and more than 3000 minor injuries were reported.

The table shows an increase of more than 342% in the total crimes reported from 1998 to 2007. An 18% increase in fatal injuries, almost 200% increase in serious injuries and an increase of 405% in minor injuries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the subject and report several relevant figures, including the starting total of 864, the peak total of 3,912 in 2004–05, and the percentage increases. However, the response only partially selects and summarises the main features. It lacks a clear overview of the overall pattern, such as the strong rise in total and slight injuries followed by a small fall in 2005–06, while fatal injuries fluctuate. Some figures are misinterpreted: 3,424 slight injuries occurred in 2004–05, not in 2004, and the highest fatal figure of 95 was in 2001–02 alone, not in both 2001 and 2002. Also, the 342% increase applies to the total through 2005–06, not 2006–07.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure and generally moves through the years in chronological order, so the reader can follow the broad sequence. However, progression is not consistently clear: the middle paragraph groups several years together, then shifts between fatal, slight and total injuries without a clear organising principle. Repeated openings such as “In the years…” and “The years…” make the account feel list-like, while “There is an increase of over 500 crimes than the last year” is not clearly connected to the preceding comparison. Improve cohesion by grouping the data by trend or injury category, using precise references to periods, and adding a concise overview before the detailed comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the basic information, including “fatal,” “serious,” “minor,” “total” and “increase.” However, the range is limited and some choices are imprecise for describing the table. “Crimes reported” is repeatedly used where the figures refer to injuries, and “minor injuries” does not match the table’s label “slight.” Phrases such as “totaling to” and “more than 3400 injuries reported” are awkward or insufficiently precise. Use a wider range of accurate reporting language, for example “the number of injuries rose,” “accounted for,” and “reached a peak.” Take care to distinguish crime incidents from injury counts and to use the table’s categories consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

Your sentences are generally understandable, and you attempt some longer structures, such as “The years 2004 and 2005 recorded the highest number of total crimes reported…” However, sentence patterns are repetitive and control is uneven. Examples include “In the years between 1998 and 1999” (an awkward time construction), “There is an increase” when describing past data, and “The year with most minor injuries…” which needs an article before “most.” Punctuation also needs attention: there is no space after semicolons in “reported;49” and commas in year lists are inconsistently spaced. Use past-tense reporting consistently, check articles and sentence boundaries, and vary simple statements with accurately formed comparisons.

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