Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-26

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 table provides data on the amount of stores going out of business and beginning new ones through seven years in the 2010 decade.

Overall, we can observe a downwards trend for both events, with shop openings eventually surpassing closures. In addition, the collection of businesses ending only exceeded that of new ones twice throughout the information compiled.

Firstly, both the number of shop being finished and getting started were at the highest or of the top points in 2011, the year the research first begun. In 2011, there were around 8500 closing places for purchase when those starting out were about less than the former by 2000 units, at around 6300. By 2012, the shop closures drop under stores openings for the first time, with a difference of about 2000 in favor of the latter, showing its steepest descent of about 4500 units in all the years included.

This trend was reversed as shops were closing down in higher quantity while those starting out were on an uneven trajectory until 2014, when the number of locations dying out and thriving were almost identical at around 6200 places. However, in 2015, an unidentified major event happened in the economy, resulting in both side of the shopping business overseeing an dynamic decline. The second and last time that the shop closures exceeded stores openings can also be seen in 2015 as the the first cases had 4000 occurrences in total compared to the second events barely getting 800. This year is also the biggest fall in shop openings of all 8 years studied.

Both eventually climbed back and, eventually, in 2018, there were just over 5000 new stores available while 3000 such places were closed down, ending in an almost complete opposite view to what the beginning of the study was. Moreover, both the closures and openings of these businesses were down by about 5500 units and 1000 units respectively. This again offers a difficult economic landscape these shops and stores had to endure.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully identified the main features and trends, such as the overall downward trajectory and the crossover points. You provided specific data points to support your descriptions. However, there are some inaccuracies in your interpretation of the graph; for instance, you mention 2011 as the start of the research, but the graph covers 2011–2018, and your claim that 2015 saw the 'biggest fall in shop openings' is not entirely supported by the visual data. Additionally, some descriptions of the data are slightly confusing, such as 'closing places for purchase'. To improve, ensure your data extraction is precise and avoid subjective commentary like 'unidentified major event'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the data. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Firstly', 'However', and 'Moreover' to guide the reader through the information. While the progression is generally clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced. The referencing is mostly effective, though some sentences are slightly convoluted, which occasionally obscures the logical flow. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate, and the information is presented in a way that is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the trends, using terms like 'downwards trend', 'steepest descent', and 'uneven trajectory'. However, there are instances of awkward phrasing and imprecise word choices, such as 'closing places for purchase', 'locations dying out', and 'both side of the shopping business'. These choices occasionally sound unnatural. While you attempt to use more sophisticated vocabulary, the lack of precision in collocation prevents a higher score. Focusing on more standard business terminology would enhance the professional tone of your report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'the number of shop being finished', 'the first cases had 4000 occurrences', and 'the the first cases'. Additionally, there are issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To reach a higher band, you should focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensuring that your complex sentences are constructed without errors.

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