Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-07
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 5.0)
The given line graph illustrates about the shops that closed and new one is opened in a country from 2011 to 2018. The data has been calibrated in number.
At a fleeting glance,The number of shops which were closed in 2011 was between 6000 and 7000. In the next year it gradually went down. In 2013 it crossed over 7000. The counting slowly dropped in 2014. In 2015 the number of closures shops significantly decreased at 500. In 2016 it accounted for 5000 amount. In the following year the counting almost remained similar around 5000.
Moving further, In 2018 openings new shops got the highest number. Followed by in next year it sharply fallen. In next two years it continuously grew and crossed 6000. In 2015,2016 and 2017 the number of new shops remained same around 4000. In the last year it slowly dropped around 3000.
Overall, the number of closed shops got the highest number in 2013 and the lowest in 2015. However, new opened shops had higher counting in the first year and lower in the last year.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main features of the graph, but the analysis is significantly hampered by inaccurate data reporting. For instance, stating that closures 'significantly decreased at 500' in 2015 is factually incorrect based on the provided graph, as the figure is clearly much higher. Furthermore, the description of trends is often confusing or contradictory, such as the claim that openings 'remained same around 4000' for three years, which does not align with the visual data. While the overview attempts to highlight the highest and lowest points, the lack of precision in reporting the data points prevents a higher score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the progression of ideas is often disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes misused, such as 'Moving further' to start a new paragraph or 'Followed by in next year' which lacks a clear subject. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to track which trend is being discussed. The logical flow is frequently interrupted by the inaccurate data descriptions, which makes the overall argument difficult to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. The student relies on basic phrasing such as 'the number of', 'got the highest number', and 'remained same'. There are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'The data has been calibrated in number' and 'the counting almost remained similar'. These errors occasionally impede the reader's understanding of the trends. To improve, the student needs to use a wider range of vocabulary related to trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'peaked', 'stabilised', or 'a marginal increase'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('new one is opened', 'openings new shops got'), incorrect preposition usage, and awkward phrasing ('the counting slowly dropped'). Punctuation is also problematic, with missing spaces after commas and incorrect capitalisation (e.g., 'At a fleeting glance,The'). While the meaning is generally discernible, the high frequency of errors 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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