Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-02
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 given image is of a line graph that compares the openings and closings of shops in a country between 2011 and 2018.
Overall, if we look closely it is seen that both figure shows downward trend by the end of the period. While closures were higher than openings at the begining and openings show dramatic collapse.
In 2011, the number of closing shops stood at around 8,500, compared to about 6,400 openings.The closure s than decline sharply to just under 4,000 in 2012, while openings shows negligible change and remained at around 5,900.Openings rapidly increased to its peak of approximately 7,200 in 2013, before falling to about 6,[redacted phone].In contrast, closures rose to around 6,000 in 2014.
In 2015, openings are declined nearly 500.At the same time closure also dropped to 4,000 in 2014 and remained stable till 2017.Openings recovered to 5,000 in 2016 and stayed stable untill 2018, whereas closures finally fell to arounf 2,400 at the end of the period.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 3.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5
The response fails to accurately report the data from the chart, containing severe factual inaccuracies. For instance, the student writes that 'the number of closing shops stood at around 8,500, compared to about 6,400 openings' in 2011, when the reverse was true according to the visual data. Furthermore, key trends are mismanaged, and the overview merely mentions a 'downward trend' without properly summarising the main features of both series. The response addresses the task only partially due to these fundamental confusions in reading and interpreting the graph data.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
There is some organisation with attempts at paragraphing, but the overall progression lacks clarity. Cohesive devices are used mechanically and sometimes inaccurately, such as abrupt shifts like 'In 2015, openings are declined nearly 500.At the same time closure also dropped...'. Referencing and logical sequencing between sentences are frequently faulty, making the relationship between the data points difficult to follow. Paragraph structure is also poorly maintained, with sentences clumped together without adequate spacing.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is limited and repetitive, featuring frequent errors in word choice and data representation, such as 'dramatic collapse' and 'negligible change' applied incorrectly to the figures. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, including 'begining' instead of beginning, 'than' instead of then, and 'arounf' instead of around. These errors, combined with inaccurate data reporting, cause some difficulty for the reader in grasping the intended meaning.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The text displays a very limited range of sentence structures, and attempts at complex forms are frequently faulty. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('both figure shows'), incorrect tense usage ('openings are declined'), and missing articles or prepositions. Punctuation is also problematic, with multiple instances of missing spaces after full stops. These errors occur constantly and frequently impede clear communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.