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 graph illustrate the number of shops that were closed and the number of new shops that has been established in one country from 2011 and 2018. Overall, the solid line(Closed shops) is relatively stable and moderate and had a major fall in 2015 just down to zero between the years 2011 and 2018. However, the dashed line (New open shops) faced a very high drop of 8000 to around 4000 in very first year.

The closed shops guves a very fluctuating trend following from 6300 to 6000 in 2012 then clim up to around 7100 in 2013 and 6500 in 2014. The trend had a down fall to just Zero in 2015. After that, the figure rose upto 5200 in 2016 and remain stable around 5000 and 5100 from 2017 to 2018.

The newly open shops was around 8500 and it also has a very fluctuating trend. It goes down from 8500 to 4000 which is a huge decreased and the figure steadily surges around 6100 in 2014. In 2015 it has relatively downward 4000 approximately. Morever, the quantity remains consitently in the coming year till 2017 and a sudden fall on 3000 in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the task by selecting and reporting some main features from the graph, providing an overview and making basic comparisons. However, the report suffers from inaccurate data reporting in key areas. For instance, the student states that shop closures had a major fall in 2015 "just down to zero" (whereas the visual data shows closures dropped to around 600, not zero). Similarly, the drop for new openings is miscalculated. While a general overview is attempted, the reliance on inaccurate figures and under-development of certain trends prevent the response from achieving a higher level. To improve, the student must ensure that data points are read carefully and reported accurately from the provided chart, and extend the comparisons between openings and closures more clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure with an introduction and separate body paragraphs for closures and openings, showing some overall organisation. However, there is a lack of clear overall progression and logical flow between sentences. Cohesive devices are used mechanically and sometimes repetitively or inaccurately, such as abrupt transitions between ideas ("However, the dashed line..." and "Morever, the quantity remains consitently..."). Paragraphing is attempted, but referencing and logical connectors between sentences do not always guide the reader smoothly through the data. To reach a higher standard, the writer needs to employ a wider and more accurate range of cohesive devices and ensure that each sentence flows logically into the next, establishing a clearer and more cohesive progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and minimally adequate for describing the graph. The student attempts some less common vocabulary related to trends, such as "fluctuating trend," "surges," and "down fall," but these are accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice, form, and spelling. Examples of lexical inaccuracies include "guves" (gives), "clim up" (climbed up), "down fall" (downfall), "new open shops" (newly opened shops), and "consitently" (consistently). These errors and awkward collocations cause some difficulty for the reader and restrict the lexical score. To improve, the student should expand their range of functional vocabulary for describing data and pay closer attention to word formation and accurate spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response features a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside a few faulty attempts at complex clauses. There are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., "The graph illustrate", "The closed shops guves", "The newly open shops was"), missing articles, and incorrect prepositions (e.g., "on 3000" instead of "to 3000"). These frequent errors frequently distract the reader and disrupt the flow of the writing. To progress, the writer must practice forming accurate complex sentences, master basic subject-verb agreement rules, and carefully review tense consistency when reporting past statistical data.

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