Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Momentum Workout · 2026-10-22

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 how many injuries were caused by gun and knife crime in Great Britain, as well as the proportion increased from 1998 to 2007.

Overall, number of slight injuries were the most dominant ones among all types of gun and knife fatalities, whereas fatal outcomes were the lowest of them. The most significant increase was also seen among the number of slight injuries, with fatal injuries rose at the lowest rate.

The number of fatal injuries started with only 49 among the total 864 injuries in [redacted phone] session, which was 162 and 653 consecutively in the case of serious and slight injuries. The number rose up in the next 4 years, from 1999 to 2002 for all type of injuries, becoming 95, 392 and 1390 consecutively for fatal, serious and slight outcomes.

However, the numbers fell to 80 and 68 for fatal injuries over the period [redacted phone] and [redacted phone], whereas the numbers kept increasing for serious and slight injuries in that period, becoming 437 and 1862 consecutively by 2004, By the end of 2006, the number went up and fell off for all types of injuries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main pattern that slight injuries were the most numerous and fatal injuries the least, and you include several accurate figures from the early years. However, the summary is only partial: the overview does not clearly describe the overall rise in total injuries or the sharp jump in slight injuries and the total in 2004–05. The percentage increases, a prominent feature of the table, are not reported. Some later details are also unclear or inaccurate: serious injuries reached 476 in 2005–06, not 437 by 2004, and the final sentence says all categories both rose and fell without specifying the years or values. Select the key trends, compare the percentage changes, and report the endpoint figures accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an overview followed by paragraphs describing the figures, and sequencing phrases such as “Overall,” “However,” and “By the end” help signal movement through the data. The progression becomes difficult to follow in the final paragraph, though: “by 2004” is imprecise, and “the number went up and fell off for all types” does not make clear which years or injury categories are meant. The long middle paragraph also combines several years and categories, making comparisons harder to track. Organise the body around clear time periods or injury types, and use explicit year references and comparisons so each sentence connects unambiguously to the table.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing data, including “fatal,” “serious,” “slight,” “dominant,” and “significant increase,” so the reader can generally understand the subject. However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural for a statistical report: “proportion increased” does not accurately describe the table’s percentage increases, “fatalities” is used where “injuries” is intended, and “went up and fell off” is informal and vague. “Consecutively” is also not the right word when listing values in the stated order; use “respectively.” Aim for precise reporting verbs and collocations, such as “rose,” “declined,” “accounted for,” and “increased by,” and avoid repeating broad terms like “number” when a more exact description is available.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast introduced by “whereas” and a relative clause in “which was 162 and 653.” Meaning is usually recoverable, but errors in agreement, tense, articles, and sentence construction recur. For example, “number of slight injuries were” should be “the number … was,” while “with fatal injuries rose” needs a structure such as “while fatal injuries rose.” The phrase “for all type of injuries” also needs plural agreement, and the final sentence is unclear because its subject and time reference are not controlled. Check subject–verb agreement and make sure each clause has a complete, logically connected structure. More accurate complex sentences would improve clarity.

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