Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-06

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 5.5)

The provided line graph compares the number of shops that were closed and new shops opened in a country between the time period 2011 to 2018.

Overall, it is evident that the number of shops closure and opening of shops saw an unusual fluctuation throughout the period.

Firstly, we can infer that the number of newly opened stores were higher than the shops that were closed in the beginning year. In 2011, the number of new opened shops were approximately 8500 before declining to 4000 in the following year. Then, it followed an upward trend and reached 6000 by 2014. After that, the trend continuously declined to 3000 in the year 2018.

While the number for closure of the shops were 6500 in 2011 but it fell to 6000 before rising to 7100 in 2013. However, it saw a huge decline in numbers reaching around 800 in the year 2015. This huge drop was short-lived, as the figure rose to around 5200 in 2016. Finally, it finished with roughly 5200 numbers by the end of 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the task partially, as it attempts to give an overview and select main features, but it misses key data points and includes factual inaccuracies based on the chart. For instance, the student states that in 2015 shop closures reached around 800, whereas the graph indicates it was approximately 600. Furthermore, the description of shop openings contains some unclear or under-developed reporting, such as missing the final year's complete contrast. While an overview is attempted, it is mechanically placed and lacks a fully rounded summary of the overall trends. To reach a higher band, the student must ensure data points are accurately transcribed from the visual prompt and that the main trends are more thoroughly highlighted and contrasted throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at paragraphing, separating the introduction, overview, and body paragraphs detailing the two trends. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'Then', 'After that', and 'While', which help guide the reader through the data, although some transitions feel a bit mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, though paragraph transitions could be smoother to establish a more seamless progression of ideas. To achieve a higher level, the student should refine the use of cohesive devices to make the logical progression less formulaic and ensure information flows naturally from sentence to sentence without abrupt shifts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common items and descriptive phrases such as 'unusual fluctuation', 'upward trend', and 'short-lived'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations that limit precision, such as 'shops closure' instead of 'shop closures', 'new opened shops' instead of 'newly opened shops', and referring to numbers as 'roughly 5200 numbers'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but word choice and formation issues occur. To improve lexical resource, the student should focus on accurate word forms, noun-noun collocations, and precise vocabulary suited to describing statistical trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but attempts at complex structures are frequently flawed. There are several grammatical inaccuracies, such as subject-verb agreement issues in 'the number of newly opened stores were higher' and 'the number for closure of the shops were 6500' (where 'number' is singular and requires 'was'). Punctuation and prepositions also show occasional errors. While these errors rarely completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to cause some difficulty for the reader. To progress, the student needs to exercise tighter control over subject-verb agreement, verb tenses, and grammatical patterns when constructing complex sentences.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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