Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-24

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 7.0)

The line graph shows the trend of shop closures and newer openings in a country between 2011 and 2018.

Overall, both the number of shops being opened and closed displayed fluctuations across years. However, there was an ultimate decline in the final year for both as compared to the figures at the beginning of the trend.

In 2011, more number of shops were being newly opened as opposed to the ones being closed, where around 8500 shops were new and 6500 were shut down completely. There was a decreasing trend prevalent in the next year before the figures increased in 2013, with over 7000 and 5000, shops being closed and newly opened respectively. It was 2013, when number of shut downs were than the commencement of businesses.

The trend for the closures plummeted to an all time low in 2015, with less than 1000 shops planning to stop their service. In the same year, there was a fall in the figures for newer registration with only around 4000 new openings. However, in the latter years, the trend for discontinuing shops picked up a pace and stayed slightly over 5000 on 2018, whereas the openings continued to slow down with only around 3000 new addition in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response effectively identifies the main features and trends of the graph. You have successfully highlighted the key comparison between closures and openings, and the overview provides a clear summary of the overall fluctuations and the final decline. However, there are some inaccuracies in data reporting; for instance, you mention 2013 as the year where closures exceeded openings, but the graph shows this occurred in 2012. Additionally, the description of the 2015 data is slightly imprecise. To reach a higher band, ensure that data points are transcribed with greater precision and that comparisons are consistently accurate.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that follow the chronological progression of the data. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'In the same year', and 'whereas' are used effectively to link ideas. Paragraphing is appropriate, and there is a clear progression of information. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions between sentences could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Overall, the structure is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the trends, using terms like 'fluctuations', 'plummeted', and 'commencement'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'more number of shops' (should be 'a higher number of shops') and 'newer registration' (should be 'new business registrations'). Despite these occasional inaccuracies, the vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication of the data trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'It was 2013, when number of shut downs were than the commencement' (missing comparative adjective and article) and 'around 3000 new addition' (should be 'additions'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do indicate a need for more careful proofreading of subject-verb agreement and article usage. A wider variety of complex structures would also help elevate the score.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.