Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-17

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graphs below show the number of drivers in Britain who have been caught driving too fast by speed cameras placed on roads, and the number of people killed in road accidents, over an eight-year period since the introduction of speed cameras. The tables show the results of a survey on people's opinions on speed cameras.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.

SPEED CAMERA FINES and ROAD ACCIDENT FATALITIES

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The graph illustrates the amount of drivers in Britain caught by speed cameras placed on roads and the amount of individuals who lost their lives in road accidents, over eight-year period since the speed cameras were introduced. The table demonstrates the responses from the survey on people's opinion on speed cameras. Units are measured in percentage.

Overall, speed cameras recorded rapid increase over the years reaching about 1,6000,000 while road accident fatalities noted a gradual fluctuations through the year.

Firstly, speed cameras rose steadily from the first year from about 200,000 to almost 400,000 by the second year this was significantly constant untill the fifth year which recorded up to about 8000,000 and this continued rapidly reaching about 1,600,000 by the eight-year.

In contrast, road accident fatalities experienced steady fluctuations throughout the eight-year. Initially, there was a record of about 3,000 on the first year with rare changes untill the fourth year where it declined and continously didn't change much throughout the remaining year.

Substantially, the number of people who agreed to the fact that speed cameras reduced road accidents were 32%, while the number of opposing responses were 60%, those who didn't have an idea were 8%. Following this, results for the reason of the installation of the cameras recorded positively to about 26% while those who supported it was to raise revenue were about 715 and those who didn't know where 3%. Next, those who gave their opinion were many and recorded 56%, few were 19% and those without an idea were 8%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task, including the graphs and the survey tables. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data reporting. For example, you state the speed camera fines reached '1,6000,000' and '8000,000', which are inconsistent and mathematically incorrect based on the provided data. Additionally, the description of the table data is confusing; you mention '715' for revenue, which is not a percentage, and the interpretation of the survey categories is somewhat muddled. While you identify the main trends, the lack of precision in data representation prevents a higher score. Ensure you double-check the figures against the source material to avoid misrepresenting the information provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and separate sections for the graphs and the tables. You use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly', 'In contrast', and 'Substantially' to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas within paragraphs is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and unclear references. For instance, the transition between the graph description and the table analysis is abrupt. The use of cohesive devices is occasionally mechanical, and the internal logic of some sentences is difficult to follow, which affects the overall flow of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fatalities', 'fluctuations', and 'installation'. However, there are several errors in word choice and collocation that impact clarity. For example, 'recorded rapid increase' should be 'recorded a rapid increase', and 'significantly constant' is an oxymoron. You also struggle with numerical notation, such as '1,6000,000', which is a significant error. While you attempt to use more academic vocabulary, the inaccuracies in word form and the misuse of numbers suggest a limited control over precise lexical expression.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles ('over eight-year period'), incorrect verb tenses, and punctuation errors. For example, 'untill' is misspelled, and 'continously didn't change' is awkward. There are also errors in subject-verb agreement and preposition usage, such as 'agreed to the fact that' and 'responses were 60%'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors is noticeable and occasionally causes the reader to pause, which is characteristic of the Band 5 level.

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

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