Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-13

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 6.0)

The line graph illustrates the number of opened and closed shops in a specific country from 2011 to 2018. The figures are measured in thousand.

In 2011, the number of closures and opening began approximately at around 6,400 and 8,500 repectively. Then the number of closures fell slowly to about 6,000 in 2012. After that closures reached a peak of 7,100 in 2013. Before recovering the figure of closures shops fell rapidly from 7,100 to 800 between 2013 and 2015. Then there was a massive rise in closed shops to about 5,100 in 2015. From 2015 to 2018, the number of closed shop remained constant.

In 2012, the opening shops diminished sharply from 8,500 to 4000. Then the openings experienced a significant growth at around 6,000 in 2014. By 2015, the number of openings dropped back to about 4000. After that openings stayed same untill 2017. At the end of period, there was a slight dip at around 3000.

To sum up, it would be quite interesting to note that the number of openings and closures reduced significantly over a period. Though closures surpassed the openings at the end of period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student covers all parts of the task by summarizing the main features of shop openings and closures between 2011 and 2018. An overview is provided in the final paragraph, noting the overall reduction and the final relationship between the two indicators. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in reporting specific figures and timeframes (for example, stating that the number of closed shops remained constant from 2015 to 2018 when the graph shows fluctuations or specific trends, and a few data point misreadings such as '800' instead of a higher figure). Despite these minor data interpretation errors, the main trends are adequately captured, earning a solid Band 6.5 descriptor match.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized logically into four paragraphs: an introduction, two body paragraphs dedicated to closures and openings respectively, and a brief concluding summary. Cohesive devices such as 'In 2011', 'Then', 'After that', and 'By 2015' are used to sequence events chronologically. However, paragraphing could be structured more effectively around distinct temporal trends rather than strictly separating openings and closures, and some cohesive referencing is a bit mechanical. Overall, the progression is clear enough to follow easily, fulfilling the criteria for Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for task 1, using terms such as 'illustrates', 'diminished sharply', 'significant growth', and 'surpassed'. There are some awkward phrasings and word choice inaccuracies, such as 'opened and closed shops' (instead of shop openings and closures), 'figure of closures shops', and 'untill' (spelling error). While less common lexical items are attempted, inaccuracies in collocation and minor spelling slips prevent the score from reaching a higher band. The vocabulary is nonetheless sufficient to communicate the main points clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing past tense structures to describe past data ('the number of closures fell slowly', 'openings experienced a significant growth'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward constructions, including 'measured in thousand' (instead of thousands), 'repectively', and 'at the end of period' (missing article). Additionally, some prepositions are misused ('at around' combined improperly or redundantly). Despite these errors, they do not impede overall communication, placing the response firmly at Band 6.0.

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