Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graph below shows the number of shops that closed and the number of new shops that opened in one country between 2011 and 2018.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Number of shop closures and openings 2011– 2018

Student answer (Band 4.0)

The line chart compares the number of shops closures and openings in one country from 2011 to 2018.

It is clear that the number of shop closures and opening showed a downward trend, while it fluctuated throughout the period.

In 2011, the shop opening was around 6300, and this figure dropped 6,000 in 2012. More than 7,000 opening in

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The opening identifies the chart’s subject and time span, and you attempt an overview by saying the figures showed a downward trend and fluctuated. However, the overview is too broad to capture the contrasting patterns, and the account stops before describing most of the period. The figures given are also inaccurate: openings were about 8,500 in 2011 and 3,900 in 2012, not 6,300 and 6,000; closures were about 6,400 and 5,900 in those years. The fragment “More than 7,000 opening in” is incomplete and cannot report a clear comparison. The response is 59 words, below the required 150, so it leaves the task substantially incomplete. Select the main peaks, falls and end values, and support a clear overview with accurate comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic sequence: you introduce the chart, give a general comment, and then begin describing the data. The opening sentence also makes the topic and period clear. However, the response ends abruptly at “More than 7,000 opening in,” so there is no completed progression through the years or concluding comparison. The overview sentence is difficult to follow because “showed a downward trend, while it fluctuated” does not clearly distinguish which series followed which pattern. Develop separate, logically ordered paragraphs for the overview and key details, and use clear links such as “By contrast” or “After this fall” only where the data supports them.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “line chart,” “number,” “dropped,” and “fluctuated,” so the reader can recognise the topic and some intended trends. However, the range is narrow, and several word choices or forms are inaccurate: “shops closures” and “shop opening” do not express the categories naturally, while “More than 7,000 opening” is not a clear phrase. The repeated use of “number” and “figure” also limits precision. Build a small set of accurate terms for reporting data, such as “shop closures,” “shop openings,” “rose to,” and “fell to,” and use them consistently. More precise vocabulary would help distinguish the two series and describe their changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response includes a few simple sentence patterns and one attempt at a more complex sentence: “It is clear that …, while …”. This shows some ability to connect ideas, but control is uneven. In “the number of shop closures and opening showed,” the compound subject does not agree with the singular verb, and the categories are not consistently formed as plural nouns. “This figure dropped 6,000 in 2012” is missing a preposition, while “More than 7,000 opening in” is an incomplete sentence. These errors make parts of the report unclear, and the short sample offers little evidence of a wider range of accurate structures. Practise complete comparisons using forms such as “the figure fell to…” and check agreement and sentence completion.

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