Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-15
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 5.5)
The line graph compares the number of shopes opend as well as number of shops closed between 2011 to 2018 in particular country.
oveall, the number of shops opened fluctuated majorly over the period,where as number of shops that closed decline gradually. The figures both the categories covered end of the period .
Firstly, number of shops opened in the year 2011 is approximetly 6400 shops that have silght fluctuations year by year till 2014, from the period 2014 to 2015 opened shops drastically decreases to below 900 and following year it rasies gradually and reaches nearly 5000 opend shopes and from 2016 to till end it remains constant with slight changes.
In other side, number of shops closed in the year 2011 is approximetly 8500 shops that have drastically decreases in the following year and again it rises until 2014 reaches to 6000 closed shops and once again it fall doun to 4000 shops and reamins constant for upcoming two years . Fianlly,slight fall down in the year 2018 and end with 3000 closed shops.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the graph, including the trends for both shop openings and closures. However, the overview is somewhat unclear and contains inaccuracies; for instance, stating that the figures for both categories 'covered end of the period' is vague and does not effectively summarize the overall trends. While the key data points are mentioned, the description of the trends is occasionally imprecise, such as the claim that closures 'remains constant' for two years when the graph shows a clear downward trend. To improve, ensure the overview highlights the most significant differences or patterns, such as the overall decline in closures versus the volatility in openings.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes inaccurate, such as 'In other side' instead of 'On the other hand'. The progression of ideas is occasionally disjointed, particularly in the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs. While the paragraphing is present, the internal cohesion within paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the data points more fluidly rather than listing them sequentially.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are frequent spelling errors, such as 'shopes', 'opend', 'approximetly', 'rasies', and 'doun'. The range of vocabulary is limited, relying on basic descriptors like 'drastically decreases' and 'slight fluctuations'. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more varied synonyms for trends (e.g., 'plummeted', 'stabilized', 'marginal') and ensure accurate spelling of common terms related to data description.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede readability. Issues include missing articles ('in particular country'), subject-verb agreement errors ('number of shops opened... decreases'), and tense inconsistencies. Punctuation is also problematic, with missing spaces after commas and periods. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevents the response from reaching a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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