Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-16
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 line graph illustrates the number of closed stores and new shops that opened in a country from 2011 to 2018.
Overall, the number of closed shops were high in the start but faced a major decline, while the number of new stores were less than closed ones but they remained varying throughout the certain time period.
8500 shops were sealed in 2011, there was a decline and it reached to 4000 in 2012.
On the other hand, new opened shops were 6500 in 2011, followed a slight fall, and then faced a surge to 7200 in 2013, but it faced a sharp decline and reached to 500 in 2015.
Closed shops did struggle and
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5
The response is severely under-length, containing only 115 words against the required minimum of 150 words. Furthermore, it breaks off mid-sentence at the end. Regarding content, the student attempts to present an overview and select some data points, but misreads and confuses several key figures. For instance, the text claims that '8500 shops were sealed in 2011' and reached '4000 in 2012' (which inverts the data for closures and openings, and gets figures mixed up), and later states the number plummeted to '500 in 2015' when the actual figure was around 600 for closures and 4,000 for openings. This confusion of data series and values heavily impacts the accuracy of the task response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response attempts to use an introductory sentence and an overview paragraph, but the logical flow is hampered by severe data inaccuracies and the abrupt termination of the text mid-sentence. Cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand' are attempted, but referencing between the data series is confused, making it difficult to follow which trend is being discussed. Paragraphing is incomplete due to the text cutting off before the body is fully developed or a concluding summary can be reached.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive (e.g., 'number of closed stores', 'new shops', 'decline', 'surge'). There are also inappropriate lexical choices, such as using 'sealed' instead of 'closed' or 'shut down'. While some attempts are made at describing trends ('major decline', 'sharp decline'), the lexical range is narrow and restricted, and word choices often lack precision in the context of academic data description.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control is inconsistent. There are grammatical errors such as subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'the number of closed shops were high' where 'number' requires a singular verb, and 'the number of new stores were less'). Punctuation is generally acceptable in the opening sentences, but the text ends abruptly in an incomplete fragment, leaving complex grammatical forms faulty or unfinished.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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