Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-19

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 6.5)

The line graph illustrates the number of shop closures and the number of new shops that opened in a particular country from 2011 to 2018.

Overall, it is evident that both shop openings and closures have fallen over the given period.

In 2011, around 9500 shops opened, while almost 6500 shops closed their doors. In the following year, shop openings fell dramatically to reach almost 4000. Meanwhile, 6000 shops closed. In 2013, both shop openings and closures increased slightly to reach 5000 and around 7000, respectively.

By 2014, the number of new shops climbed to around 6100, whereas the number of shops that closed dropped to approximately 6500. In 2015, both shop openings and closures fell dramatically to reach 4000 and less than 1000, respectively. From 2016 to 2018, shop openings remained steady and fell to 3000 in 2018. Meanwhile, shop closures witnessed a surge in 2016 to reach around 5000 shops and ended their trend at around 5100 shops in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons between shop openings and closures. An overview is provided, noting that both categories generally fell over the period. However, there are some inaccuracies when compared against the visual data. For instance, the student states that in 2011 around 9,500 shops opened (the visual data shows 8,500) and that in 2015 closures fell to less than 1,000 (the chart shows 600, which is technically less than 1,000, but the opening figure for 2015 is stated as 4,000 whereas the chart indicates it was also 4,000). Despite these minor data discrepancies, the overall trends and comparisons are presented adequately.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is arranged coherently with a clear overall progression. The essay is divided into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overview, and then two body paragraphs detailing the years chronologically. Cohesive devices are used adequately, such as 'In the following year', 'Meanwhile', and 'whereas'. However, referencing and transitions are at times slightly mechanical. For example, the transition between 2014 and 2015 is abrupt, and paragraphing could be structured slightly better to separate contrasting trends more clearly. Nonetheless, information and ideas are logically sequenced throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to graphical data such as 'illustrates', 'fluctuated', 'remained steady', and 'surge'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though some inaccuracies in word choice or data reporting occur. For example, using 'ended their trend' is slightly unnatural. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary choice does not impede communication, allowing the reader to easily follow the described trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using subordinate clauses effectively (e.g., 'while almost 6500 shops closed their doors' and 'whereas the number of shops that closed dropped'). There is a good degree of grammatical control, with frequent error-free sentences. Minor errors are present, such as the tense usage in 'shop openings remained steady and fell to 3000', but these do not impede communication and punctuation is handled correctly throughout.

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