Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-05
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 compares the number of shops that shut down with the number of shops that opened in a country between the period of 2011 and 2018.
Overall, it is evident that the number of shops opened between the period of 2011 to 2018 is greater than number of shops closed during that period.
During the year 2011, around 6500 shops are opened. This number dropped to 6000 in the year 2012. This trend escalated to the number of 7000 in the year 2013. 6500 shops are opened in the year 2014. A sharp decline is observed in the year 2015 with a figure of approximately 800 shops opened. There is a surge to a number of around 5000 in the year 2016 that remained almost stable to the year 2017. There is a minor rise in the number of shops opened in 2018.
Talking about the number of shops closed, 8500 shops are listed in the year 2011. It dropped down sharply to 4000 in the year 2012. 5000 shops closed in 2013. The number increased to 6000 in the year 2014. in 2015, the number reduced to 4000 which remained unchanged until 2016. There is a slight increase in the year 2017 that led to a sudden fall in the number to 3000 in the year 2018.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response demonstrates a minimal approach to the task. Although the student attempts to describe the line graph comparing shop closures and openings, there are major inaccuracies in reading the data. For instance, the student states that 'around 6500 shops are opened' in 2011 and confuses the two data series throughout the body paragraphs, mixing up closures and openings. Furthermore, the overall trend described in the overview—claiming that more shops opened than closed—contradicts the visual data where closures generally outnumber openings across most years. The response lacks a fully developed overview and fails to accurately report the main features and comparisons, keeping it at a very basic level of task execution.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The text exhibits some organizational structure with an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for each category. However, there is no clear overall progression due to the confused data reporting. Paragraphing is attempted, but transitions between sentences feel mechanical rather than naturally flowing. Cohesive devices such as time markers ('During the year 2011', 'This trend escalated') are used repeatedly and formulaically, and referencing is occasionally unclear, making it sometimes difficult to follow which trend or dataset is being discussed. Overall arrangement is present, but cohesion is frequently faulty.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for basic description, featuring standard terms like 'decline', 'surge', and 'stable'. However, the range is limited and repetitive, with frequent reliance on basic verbs and sentence frames. There are noticeable errors in word choice and data interpretation, such as using 'escalated' or 'surge' incorrectly relative to the actual graph values. Spelling is generally acceptable, but the lack of precise lexical control and inability to handle less common lexical items accurately restricts the range to a minimally adequate level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and attempted complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in verb tense usage, particularly switching awkwardly between past and present descriptions (e.g., 'shops are opened', 'This number dropped', 'shops are listed'). Errors also appear in prepositions ('to the year 2017' instead of 'until') and subject-verb agreement. While these errors do not completely obscure the basic meaning, their frequency causes noticeable difficulty and prevents the grammar from reaching a higher level of accuracy.
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