Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-19

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 numbers of shops closed and new shops opened in one country from 2011 to 2018.

Overall, it can be seen that figures of shops closed are more than the shops opened. Although there was a major decline in number in of shop closed in the middle years.

Turning to the details, in 2011 there were 8500 stores that were opened newly and number for closed shops was 6500. After a year, the number of opened and closed shops decreased to 4000 and 6000 respectively. From 2012 to 2013, the number of opened and closed shops inclined by 1000 and 1100 simultaneously. In the next one, the proportion of opened stores rose to 6100 but closed shops number declined by 900.

Moving further, in 2015 the number of closed shops fell to a low of 500 shops and opened shops to 4000. Between 2015 and 2016, figure of closed shops experiences a sharp rise of 4600 and proportion of opened shops was stable. In next 12 months, closed shops decreased by 100 and opened shops increased by the same. From 2017 to 2018, the figure of closed shops inclined by 100 and opened shop fell by 1100.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided data to support your points. However, the overview is slightly problematic. You state that 'figures of shops closed are more than the shops opened,' but the graph shows this is not true for the entire period (e.g., in 2011, openings were higher). Additionally, your second sentence in the overview is a sentence fragment. While you cover the key features, the accuracy of your summary is compromised by these generalizations. To improve, ensure your overview accurately reflects the entire data set and avoid grammatical fragments that obscure your main points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, moving from an overview to specific details. You use some cohesive devices like 'Turning to the details' and 'Moving further' to guide the reader. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'In the next one' and 'In next 12 months,' which lack clear referents. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the transition between ideas could be smoother. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensuring that every sentence connects clearly to the previous one.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'inclined,' 'declined,' and 'sharp rise.' However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors. For example, you use 'inclined' when you mean 'increased' or 'rose,' and 'proportion' is used incorrectly to refer to raw numbers. Additionally, 'opened newly' is unnatural; 'newly opened' would be better. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main points, you need to work on using words in their correct context and improving your control over collocations to achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles ('in number in of shop closed'), incorrect verb forms ('figure of closed shops experiences'), and awkward phrasing ('number for closed shops'). Some sentences are grammatically incomplete, such as the second sentence of your overview. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focus on subject-verb agreement, consistent use of articles, and ensuring that every sentence has a clear subject and verb.

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