Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-04
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 graph compares the number of shops that are Out of business and the number of fresh shops that opened in one country in years between 2011 and 2018.
Overall, it can be clearly seen that the most bussines has been shutdown in 2011 whereas, the most new open shops in 2013.
However a common thing here we can find is the no of close of business decline after first year and then it increase in recent 2 years where after that it was steady for the next three years and the most lowest data for closes of shop is in 2018.
on other hand the most new opened shops were in 2011 and lowest data where almost few hundreds shops opened were in 2015 after that we can see significant number of shops that are opening in last 3 years
Hence, the data shows us there were more shops opened as comared to the number of shops who went to exit from the market.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response addresses the task only minimally and fails to provide an accurate summary of the data presented in the graph. The student attempts to report some trends and years, but makes significant misinterpretations of the figures shown in the chart. For instance, the text claims that closures were lowest in 2018 and that openings peaked in 2011 and were lowest in 2015, which frequently contradicts the visual reference provided. Furthermore, the concluding statement incorrectly suggests that more shops opened overall compared to closures, whereas the graph actually displays fluctuating trends where closures often outnumbered openings. Key data points are inadequately selected or completely misread, preventing the response from achieving a higher score.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response shows some basic organisation with an introductory sentence and an attempt at an overview, followed by body sentences detailing specific years. However, there is no clear overall progression, and the information is presented in a somewhat disjointed manner. Cohesive devices are used awkwardly or inaccurately, such as the repetitive use of transition words like 'However', 'on other hand', and 'Hence', which makes the flow mechanical and confusing. Paragraphing is also poorly managed, as the entire body of the text is clustered together without logical separation between the two data series, limiting clarity for the reader.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The lexical resource is limited and minimally adequate for the task. The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, relying heavily on simple terms like 'shops', 'closed', and 'opened'. There are noticeable errors in word choice and phrasing, such as 'Out of business', 'fresh shops', 'bussines', 'no of close of business', and 'most lowest data', which occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are largely unsuccessful due to unnatural collocations and awkward phrasing, keeping the lexical score at this level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response demonstrates a very limited range of sentence structures, relying primarily on simple sentences or faulty attempts at complex clauses. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies ('has been shutdown', 'decline', 'increase', 'was steady'), missing articles ('in years between'), incorrect plurals ('closes of shop'), and awkward prepositional usage ('in years between'). Punctuation is also weak, with run-on sentences lacking proper pauses or conjunctions. These frequent errors cause considerable difficulty for the reader and reflect limited control over grammatical forms.
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