Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-12

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 line graph illustrates the number of the shops that closed and the number of the shops that opened in a country from 2011 to 2018.

Overall, the number of shops that opened in 2011 was considerably high and in 2018 the number of shops that opened fell down. By contrast, the number of shops that closed was low in 2011 and rose in 2018.

In 2011, the shops that opened were almost 8500 which declined in 2012 to about 4000. In 2014, these numbers gradually rose to about 6000 and fell to 4000 in 2015. In 2018, trend of shops opening declined to about 3000. Whereas, in between 2016 and 2017 the numbers were almost constant with minor rose in 2017.

In contast, the number of shop coluser was low in 2011 which was about 6500. In 2012 it declined to about 6000. from 2012 to 2014 shop closure gradually rose to about 6500. In 2014, closure of shops started to declined and it showed a remarkable downsize to almost 500 in 2015. After that, trend of shpo closure rose frequently and reached to almost 5100 in 2016. In 2018, these number rose to almost 5100.

In conclusion, number of shops opened was high in 2011 and number of shops closure was high in 2018 as compared to number of shops opened.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify both series and give a broad overview of their contrasting directions: openings begin at a high point and end lower, while closures finish above their starting level. You also report several key movements, including the sharp fall in closures in 2015 and the recovery in 2016. However, some comparisons and details are inaccurate or unclear. Closures were not low in 2011 (about 6,400), and they did not rise steadily from 2012 to 2014: they rose to about 7,200 in 2013 before falling to 6,500. The final closure figure is about 5,200, while openings are about 3,000, so the conclusion’s comparison is relevant but should be stated precisely. A clearer overview of the main fluctuations and more accurate reporting would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, separate paragraphs for openings and closures, and a conclusion. This makes the information generally easy to follow. Time markers such as “In 2011,” “In 2014,” and “After that” help establish sequence, and “By contrast” signals a comparison. However, the organisation is sometimes mechanical, and the conclusion repeats the overview rather than adding a useful synthesis. Some links are awkward or unclear, particularly “Whereas, in between 2016 and 2017,” which is not smoothly connected to the preceding sentence. Grouping the main trends more deliberately and using clearer links between the two series would improve progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the main subject, including “declined,” “gradually rose,” “remarkable,” and “constant.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which makes parts of the report sound unnatural. For example, “fell down” is less suitable than “fell” or “declined,” while “minor rose” and “rose frequently” do not express the intended changes clearly. There are also spelling errors such as “contast,” “coluser,” and “shpo,” and “downsize” is not the right term for a sharp fall in a figure. More precise trend language and careful proofreading would make the description clearer and more appropriate for an academic report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, and the overall meaning is usually understandable. Some sentence patterns are controlled, such as “In 2011, the shops that opened were almost 8500 which declined in 2012 to about 4000.” However, errors in sentence construction, tense and agreement recur. For example, “the number of shops that opened … fell down” is awkwardly formed, and “these number rose” has a singular-plural agreement problem. The sentence beginning “In 2014, closure of shops started to declined” also uses an incorrect verb form, while “from 2012 to 2014 shop closure gradually rose” needs clearer punctuation and phrasing. Aim for accurate past-tense clauses and check articles, agreement and sentence boundaries.

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