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 line graph represents the total number of shops that closed and the number of new shops that opened in one country from 2011 and 2018.

Overall, it can be clearly seen that they both fluctuated throughout the time period.

Initially, the shops that were open stood at about 8,500 and decreased dramatically for one year nearly at 4,000. It then rose gradually to around 6,000 total shops for 2 years. After this, it again declined for one year to nearly 4,000 shops and then remained same for two years from 2015 to 2017. In the last year, it again decreased slightly roughly to 3,000 shops.

Now the shops that were closed between 2011 and 2018, they were at about 6,200 and then declined to 6,000 shops from 2011 to 2012, then it increased dramtically for a year to about 7,000 shops. Moreover, it then decreased slightly and overtook the shops that opened at about 6,200 and then fell sharply to below 1,000 shops for a year. After reaching to its lowest peak in 2015, it then rose considerably to almost 5,000 and then remained constant for 2 years at about 5,100 shops.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response attempts to summarise the main features of the graph, but it contains significant inaccuracies and misinterpretations of the data. For instance, the 2015 figure for shop closures is stated as falling to below 1,000, and later as reaching its lowest peak, which misreads the chart where closures dropped to a very low point (around 600) while openings dropped to 4,000. Additionally, the overview is extremely basic, stating only that they fluctuated, without capturing key comparative trends. The ideas are limited and under-developed, and the response lacks a clear, overarching summary of the major movements.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The text demonstrates some organisation with an introduction and body paragraphs, but there is no clear overall progression. Transitions between sentences and ideas feel mechanical and repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'then' and 'after this' to sequence events. Paragraphing is also problematic, as the second body paragraph awkwardly blends data for openings and closures rather than grouping information logically. Referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow which line on the graph is being discussed at any given moment.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is a mix of adequate and limited terms. The student attempts some less common vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'dramatically', 'gradually', and 'considerably', but these are not always applied to the correct data points. There are also spelling errors like 'dramtically' and some awkward phrasing such as 'remained same' instead of 'remained the same'. The lexical range is minimally adequate for the task, but errors in word choice and spelling occasionally impede clear communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a limited range of sentence structures, relying mostly on simple and moderately complex forms joined by conjunctions. Attempts at more complex structures are often faulty, particularly in relative clauses and referencing, such as 'Now the shops that were closed between 2011 and 2018, they were at about...'. There are frequent errors in prepositions, tense consistency, and articles throughout the response, which can cause some difficulty for the reader and prevent the grammar from reaching a higher level of control.

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