Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-28
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 represents the data of shops that closed and opened in the years between [redacted phone] in a country.
Overall, the data is from 2011 to 2018 and depicting the number of stores inaugrated and closed in between the years.
In the year 2011, 6,500 shops closed but on the other side 8,500 new shops were inagurated accountig 2011 as the year in which highest number of shops were opened. But in the following year the number of shops opened dropped to 4,000. Whereas, 6,000 shops were closed in 2012. A steady growth was there in 2013 for both opening and closing of shops.
In the year 2014, there is a steep fall in the closing of shops which dropped down to less then 1,000. However, in the following year the number rose from less one thousand to 5,100 and for the following years the graph was linear. Additionally, the number of opening of shops also declined in 2014 to 4,000 further maintained a liner line till 2017 and again dropped in 2018 to 3,000. And for the following years the graph was linear.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student attempts to address the task by describing the main features of the line graph showing shop closures and openings between 2011 and 2018. However, there are numerous inaccuracies and misreadings of the data. For instance, the student states that in 2014 there was a steep fall in closures to less than 1,000, whereas the chart shows 2015 as the year with the drop to around 600. Similarly, values for 2012 and other years are misreported compared to the visual data. The overview merely restates the prompt rather than highlighting the broader trends, such as closures generally remaining higher than openings for most of the period. Consequently, the response only partially covers the task requirements and suffers from significant data misinterpretation.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is organized into paragraphs, attempting an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the years. However, the logical progression is hindered by confusing transitions and factual errors. The second sentence of the overview is redundant and repetitive. Cohesive devices are used awkwardly or inaccurately, such as 'accountig 2011 as the year' and 'further maintained a liner line'. Furthermore, referencing is sometimes unclear, and the paragraphing lacks sophisticated connections between ideas, resulting in a somewhat mechanical flow.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, with frequent spelling and word-choice errors. Examples of misspellings include 'inaugrated', 'inagurated', 'accountig', 'liner', and repetitions of 'the following years the graph was linear'. While the student attempts less common vocabulary such as 'steep fall' and 'steady growth', the lexical control is weak, and inaccuracies in spelling ('liner' instead of 'linear') and collocation impede smooth communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical accuracy is quite low. There are frequent errors in tense usage, prepositions, and clause structures, such as 'The line graph represents the data of shops that closed and opened' and 'number of opening of shops also declined'. Punctuation is also problematic, and run-on structures or fragments appear frequently. These grammatical errors often cause difficulty for the reader and prevent the text from achieving a higher band.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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