Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-14

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 6.5)

The line graph illustrates the number of shops which were inaugurated and closed in a country from 2011 to 2018.

Overall, it is evident that the figures of opening as well as closing a shop have declined significantly when compared to the initial period. Although, few fluctuations can be observed midway.

In 2011, number of outlet opened were just above 8000 that dropped drastically in 2012 and become almost half to around 4000. However, the figures started escalating and reached approximately to 6100 in 2014. Unfortunately, it decreased again and reached 4000 in 2015 after which it remained stable for the next two years but had a downfall in 2018 and stopped at 3000 shops only.

In contrast, closure number was just above 6000 in 2011 that reached its peak in 2013 with 7100 shops. Furthermore, an exponential decrement was seen and as a result, in 2015, the number of closing shops were just below 1000. Subsequently, the graph showed a rise up till 2016 and remain unchanged for the last two years with around 5100 shops closed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task and provides a clear overview of the trends. You successfully identified the main features, such as the overall decline in both openings and closures and the significant fluctuations. However, the analysis could be improved by making more direct comparisons between the two categories at specific points in time, rather than just describing them in separate paragraphs. For example, noting that closures peaked while openings were declining in 2013 would have strengthened the analytical aspect of your report. Overall, the information is accurate and relevant to the provided graph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Furthermore', and 'Subsequently' to guide the reader through the data. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the paragraphing could be more balanced. The overview is placed appropriately, but the connection between the two body paragraphs could be smoother to better highlight the relationship between the two data sets. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentences are slightly repetitive in structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly, using terms like 'inaugurated', 'escalating', 'exponential decrement', and 'downfall'. While these words are generally used correctly, there are some minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'figures of opening' (should be 'figures for shop openings') and 'closure number' (should be 'the number of closures'). The vocabulary is adequate for the task, but incorporating more precise academic collocations would help elevate the score to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'number of outlet opened were' (should be 'the number of outlets opened was') and 'the number of closing shops were' (should be 'the number of closing shops was'). Additionally, there are minor issues with articles and pluralization. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage will improve your accuracy.

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

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