Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-11

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 6.0)

The provided line chart illustrates the closure and opening of new shops in one nation from 2011 to 2018.

Overall, it can be observed that both of the numbers fluctuated heavily and closure of shops have the most significant decrease and increase as well. Moreover, opening of new shops was above in the beggining but it suffered a significant drop and reached below the closure at last.

In 2011, newly openend shops were about 9500 and it droped heavily this number reached just below 4000 in 2012. In the upcoming two years, this number increased gradually and was just above 6000 in 2014 but then it just dropped slowly over the passage of time and evetually in 2018 newly opened shops were about 3000.

Closure of shops fluctuated between 6500 to about 6600 from 2011 to 2014 but it drastically reduced to about 500 and then increased heavily and went to about 5100 in 2016. Over the next two years this number was relatively stable and was above the number of shops opened in 2018

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the overall fluctuation and the sharp fall in closures in 2015, and you compare openings at the start and end of the period. However, several figures and trends are inaccurate: openings began at about 8,500, not 9,500, and closures were around 6,400 in 2011, fell in 2012, rose in 2013, then stood near 6,500 in 2014—not “between 6500 to about 6600” throughout. The overview also says closures had the largest increase, but does not clearly identify the main contrast: openings peaked at the start, while closures reached their low in 2015 and recovered. The response covers the task, but some key details are unclear or insufficiently precise. Check each plotted value and describe the sequence accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for openings and closures. Time markers such as “In 2011,” “In the upcoming two years,” and “Over the next two years” help the reader follow the chronology, and the final comparison links the two series. This coherent structure meets the core expectations, with some evidence of more flexible progression. However, the chronology is occasionally imprecise: “the upcoming two years” is followed by a description that ends in 2014, and “this number” is repeated without always making the reference immediately clear. The final sentence also feels incomplete. Use clearer transitions and ensure each paragraph ends with a complete, explicit comparison.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of trend vocabulary, including “fluctuated,” “drastically reduced,” “increased,” and “relatively stable,” which helps describe the graph. Some choices are not natural or precise for this task, however: “closure of shops have the most significant decrease and increase” is awkward, while “newly openend shops” and “it droped heavily this number” make the description less fluent. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “beggining,” “openend,” “droped,” and “evetually.” These do not prevent the reader from understanding the main message, but they limit accuracy and control. Aim for standard collocations such as “the number of shop openings fell sharply” and proofread spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, using time clauses and contrast, for example, “but then it just dropped slowly over the passage of time.” The main trends remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. In the overview, “both of the numbers fluctuated … and closure of shops have” has an agreement problem and an unclear noun phrase; “it droped heavily this number reached” joins clauses incorrectly; and “Closure of shops fluctuated between 6500 to about 6600” uses an incorrect comparison pattern. The final sentence lacks a full stop and is difficult to parse. Improve control by checking subject–verb agreement, using “from … to …” for ranges, and separating independent clauses with appropriate punctuation.

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