Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-02
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 graph illustrates the number of shops closures and opening in a single country from 2011 to 2018.
overall, the number of shops that closed and the number that opened both saw a large number of fluctuations during the specified period of time. However, closing outpaced opening in all years except for 2011 and 2015.
The number of shops that closed fluctuated between roughly 6000 and 7000 during the first four year of the period, after which it fell sharply to its lowest point, about 600 in 2015. However, this number rose significantly to approximately 5000 the following year and stayed at this level until the end of the period.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement. While you have identified the main trends and provided an overview, the report is incomplete. You have described the closures but failed to provide any detail regarding the 'openings' data, which is a key part of the prompt. To achieve a higher band, you must ensure all data sets are described and compared, and you must meet the length requirement to allow for full development of the main features.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction and an overview. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction from the body. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited, and the transition between the overview and the body paragraph is abrupt. Because the response is incomplete, the overall progression of ideas is stunted. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus and use a wider variety of linking words to connect your observations about the data.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using terms like 'fluctuations', 'outpaced', and 'significantly'. However, there are some minor errors in word formation, such as 'shops closures' instead of 'shop closures' and 'first four year' instead of 'first four years'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited due to the brevity of the text. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise reporting verbs and nouns related to data trends, such as 'dramatic decline' or 'stabilized'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as the missing plural 's' in 'first four year' and the awkward phrasing 'shops closures'. Punctuation is generally correct, but the overall range of structures is limited by the short length of the response. To improve, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and consistent pluralization. Incorporating more varied complex sentence structures, such as using relative clauses or participle phrases, would also help demonstrate a wider grammatical range.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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