Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-03

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 provides the comparison trend between two aspects in a country from 2011 to 2018: the number of shops that closed and the number of new shops that opened.

Overall, at the start of the period, more shops were opened as compared to the closing of shops. During the whole period, a lot of fluctuations occurred from time to time, and both categories overlapped the other, but at the end, the closure of shops led to a huge margin.

In 2011, opening of shops accounted for about 8500, while closure was approximately 6500. After one year, closed shops showed a slight decrease and moved to a share of 6000 but surpassed the opening category, while the opening of shops class showed a significant decline from 6000 in 2011 to 4000 in 2012. In 2013, the opening and closing of the shops accounted for 5000 and 7100, respectively. Although the opening of shops followed the significant increment and climbed to 6100, the closure of shops had a downward trend with a share of around 6200.

In 2015, the closure of shops showed a sharp decline from around 6100 to around 600. Closure of shops had a slight decline and moved to 4000 in 2015. In 2016 and 2017, the opening of shops category had plateaued growth, while closure surpassed the opening class in 2016 and moved to around 5000. In 2016 and 2017, closure had slight fluctuations and had about 5000 at the end of the period, while openings had a minute decline in 2018 and stayed at 3000.

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, there are significant inaccuracies in your data reporting. For instance, you state that in 2015, closures declined to 'around 600', which is not supported by the graph. Additionally, your description of the 2012 data is confusing, as you claim closures 'surpassed the opening category' while simultaneously stating openings declined from 6000 to 4000. These inconsistencies make it difficult for the reader to follow the actual trends. To improve, ensure you carefully cross-reference your written figures with the visual data to avoid factual errors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, and you use some cohesive devices such as 'In 2011', 'Although', and 'In 2015' to guide the reader. However, the progression of ideas within the paragraphs is sometimes disjointed. For example, the paragraph regarding 2015 contains contradictory statements about the decline of closures. The use of referencing is occasionally unclear, and some transitions feel mechanical. To reach a higher band, focus on ensuring that each sentence flows logically from the previous one and that your summary of the data remains consistent throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fluctuations', 'plateaued', and 'increment'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'opening of shops class' and 'minute decline'. The repetition of 'opening of shops' and 'closure of shops' makes the writing feel slightly monotonous. To improve, try to use synonyms or refer to the categories more concisely once they have been established. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general meaning, more precise and varied terminology would enhance the quality of your report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity, such as 'both categories overlapped the other' and 'the opening and closing of the shops accounted for 5000 and 7100, respectively' (where the subject-verb agreement or prepositional usage is slightly off). There are also issues with article usage and tense consistency. While these errors do not completely obscure the meaning, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and prepositional accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.