Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-08-28
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 survey conducted on people's opinion on speed cameras show that people are not pleased with speed cameras. They think it is a government tactic to increase revenue instead of reducing road accident fatilities.
About 56% of people think that there are too many speed cameras but most of the people think that inspite of having so many speed cameras the number of accidents have not reduced. Only 32% people think that speed cameras have played their part in reducing road accidents.
However, if we analyze the graphs, we will see a different picture. In the 8 years of speed camera installation, the number of fines have increased drastically but road accident fatilities have been in a certain range.
Now, we can read this result in two ways, either, we can say that speed cameras have not been able to reduce road accident fatalities inspite of increasing fines. The other way to read it is, that speed cameras are able to keep road accidents fatilties in a specific range.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses the task but fails to provide a comprehensive overview of the data. While you mention the survey results and the graph trends, you do not include any specific data points (e.g., percentages or numbers) from the provided charts. IELTS Academic Task 1 requires the selection and reporting of key features, including data, to support the description. By omitting the actual figures, the response remains too general and lacks the necessary detail to fully satisfy the requirements of the prompt. To improve, ensure you integrate specific data from the graphs and tables to illustrate your points rather than just describing the trends in abstract terms.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and repetitive. For instance, you use 'The other way to read it is' and 'However' to transition between ideas, but the flow between sentences could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be strengthened by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the survey findings with the graph data more effectively. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, but the mechanical nature of the transitions prevents a higher score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range expected for higher bands. You use basic terms like 'not pleased' and 'played their part', which are acceptable but not sophisticated. There are also recurring spelling errors, such as 'fatilities' instead of 'fatalities' and 'inspite' instead of 'in spite'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more academic collocations and ensure accurate spelling. Expanding your range to include more precise terminology related to data analysis, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'a significant surge', would greatly enhance the quality of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is a good start. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'The survey... show' should be 'shows' (subject-verb agreement), and '32% people' should be '32% of people'. Additionally, the punctuation around 'inspite' and the use of commas could be improved to enhance clarity. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the overall accuracy. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent proofreading for minor slips will help improve your score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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