Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-07

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 7.0)

The line graph depicts the total number of shops that closed and new shops that opened in a country from 2011 to 2018.

Overall, it is visible that the total number of new shops that opened and those that closed show a lot of fluctuations. The new shops that opened significantly decreased over the given period whilst, those that closed decreased significantly but then increased reaching close to its initial number.

In 2011, arount 8,500 new shops opened, dropping significantly to 4,000 in 2012. After a steady increase in the next two years, it dropped back to 4,000 in 2015. The line hovered around the same number for the next two years before reaching its lowest (3,000) in 2018.

Meanwhile, in 2011, the number of shops that closed were around 6,500. The number reached to its highest (just over 7,000) in 2013, before witnessing a sigificant fall to around 500 in 2015. The number increased to just over 5,000 in 2016 and stayed the same for the next two years. It is noteworthy that in 2014 both of the lines were almost at the same level.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response identifies the main overall patterns and supports them with relevant figures: openings fall overall from about 8,500 to 3,000, while closures fluctuate sharply, including a pronounced low in 2015 and a recovery afterwards. The comparison that both series were close in 2014 is also useful. This gives the report a clear overview and covers both categories. However, some details are inaccurate or imprecise: openings fell to about 3,900 in 2012, not 4,000 exactly, and closures rose to around 5,200 in 2016 before edging down to 5,000 in 2017 and returning to 5,200 in 2018, rather than staying the same. The overview also says closures reached close to their initial number, which is broadly true but could be more precisely qualified. More accurate comparisons would strengthen the report further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information is organised clearly into an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for openings and closures. The progression is easy to follow, with the years generally reported in chronological order. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Meanwhile,” and “before” help signal shifts and sequence, while the final comparison about 2014 brings the two series together. This is effective organisation, though the comparison is somewhat detached at the end rather than integrated into the relevant discussion. Some sequencing phrases are also repeated in a predictable way, and “the next two years” requires the reader to track the timeline closely. To make cohesion more flexible, connect key comparisons directly to the trends being described and use clearer references when summarising changes across several years.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

The response uses a suitable range of vocabulary for describing a line graph, including “fluctuations,” “dropping significantly,” “hovered,” “reaching its lowest,” and “witnessing a significant fall.” These choices communicate changes in direction and scale, and the language is generally appropriate to an academic report. Some wording is repetitive, particularly the repeated references to “the number” and “shops that opened/closed,” while phrases such as “reached to its highest” are not natural collocations. There are also spelling slips in “arount” and “sigificant,” and “stayed the same” is less precise than the data warrants. Aim for more varied, accurate trend vocabulary and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

There is a useful mix of simple and complex sentence forms, and many sentences are controlled, such as “After a steady increase in the next two years, it dropped back to 4,000 in 2015.” Time clauses and participial structures help vary the report. A few grammatical issues remain. In “the number of shops that closed were around 6,500,” the singular subject “number” requires “was.” The phrase “reached to its highest” also has an unnecessary preposition, and “whilst, those that closed” contains an incorrect comma after the conjunction. The overview’s “decreased significantly but then increased reaching” would be clearer with punctuation before “reaching.” These errors do not prevent understanding, but more consistent agreement, sentence punctuation, and control of verb patterns would improve accuracy.

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