Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-29
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)
This line graph illustretes data of opening and closing of the shop in 2011 to 2018. It represent with different lines. opening shops are show with doted line and closing shops are show with solid line.
In 2011 closing of shops were in peak with 8,500 and only 6,300 shops were open in this year. In next year discontinue of shop was drop with 5,000 and in this year continue of shop number was also drop with 200. In two year 2014 number of inaugurating shop was the highest with 6,050 in same year number of closing was also similar.
In following year changes were kept happing in starting and in discontinue but in 2015 there was a big dropdown for discontinuing their shop. In this year only 400 shops were closed. In same year there were opening of it was gone down. In upcoming year there number of shops were opened and number of shops were closed. In some year graph was in peak and for some time it was in low.
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 response attempts to cover the main features of the graph, but it contains significant inaccuracies and misinterpretations of the data. For example, the student states that in 2011, 'closing of shops were in peak with 8,500', whereas the visual data shows that 8,500 was actually the number of shop openings, while closures were around 6,400. Furthermore, the figures for 2015 are severely misread ('only 400 shops were closed' instead of approximately 600, and the description of the trends is vague). The overview is weak and lacks a clear summary of the overall trends. Because the data is frequently misreported and confused between the two categories, the task is only partially addressed, corresponding to a Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text is divided into four very short paragraphs, attempting to structure the introduction, body details, and conclusion. However, the logical progression is hindered by confusing sentence structures and abrupt transitions, such as 'In following year changes were kept happing'. Cohesive devices are either missing, inadequate, or repetitive ('In same year', 'In this year'). Paragraphing is initiated, but internal cohesion within sentences and between ideas is weak, leading to a disjointed reading experience. This matches the characteristics of Band 5.0, where organisation is present but overall progression lacks clarity.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, relying heavily on simple terms like 'shops', 'open', and 'close'. There are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations throughout the text, such as 'illustretes', 'discontinue of shop', 'continue of shop', and 'inaugurating shop'. The range of vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate for the task, causing some difficulty for the reader due to non-standard phrasing (e.g., 'big dropdown for discontinuing their shop'). These limitations place the lexical performance firmly at Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentences, but grammatical accuracy is low. There are frequent errors in verb tense, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions, such as 'opening shops are show with doted line', 'closing of shops were in peak', and 'there number of shops were opened'. Punctuation and sentence boundaries are sometimes neglected, and errors frequently cause strain or confusion for the reader. The control of grammar is weak, aligning with the Band 5 descriptor where frequent errors occur and complex structures are often faulty.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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