Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-13

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 illustrate the number of shops that closeed and the number of new shops that opened in a county between 2011 and 2018.

overall the number f shop openings showed a general downward trend, while shop closures fluctuated considerly throught the period. The most noticeable change was the sharp fall in shop closure in 2005, followed by a strong recovery in the followung year.

In 2011, approximately 8,500 new shop opened, compared with around 6,200 shops closure. The number of openeing then goes to directly about 4,000 in 2012 before rising gradually to 6,000 in2014. however this figure decreased again in2015. it remained relatively stable in 2016 and 2017, at about 4,000, before dropping again roughly at 3000 in 2018.

regarding shop closures, the figure started at around 6,200 in 2011 and declined alightly in 2012. then it increased to approx 7,200 in 2013 before falling about 6,500 in 2014, closure reached thier lowest point at fewer than1000. however the number rose sharply tojust over 5,000 in 2016 and remain similar level until 2018.

In conclusion , shop openings geneally declined while shop closures experienced greater fluctuations over the eight years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the two series and give a relevant overview: openings generally declined, while closures fluctuated, with a sharp fall and recovery. However, several figures and dates are inaccurate, which limits how fully the main features are reported. The graph shows closures at about 6,400 in 2011, not 6,200, and their dramatic low point occurs in 2015, not 2005. Openings fell to about 3,900 in 2012, then rose to around 6,200 in 2014; your account broadly captures this movement but gives some values imprecisely. To strengthen the report, check each year against the graph and make the overview’s key comparisons more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, separate descriptions of openings and closures, and a concluding summary. This makes the two data series easy to follow. You also use linking expressions such as “while,” “before,” and “however” to show contrast and sequence. At times, though, connections are mechanical or unclear, and punctuation makes transitions abrupt—for example, “however this figure decreased again in2015. it remained…” The conclusion repeats the overview rather than adding a useful comparison. Use consistent sentence-initial capitalization and punctuation, and connect related changes more smoothly within each paragraph.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a suitable range of trend vocabulary, including “general downward trend,” “fluctuated,” “sharp fall,” “strong recovery,” and “remained relatively stable.” These choices help communicate the graph’s main movements. However, spelling and word-form errors are noticeable, including “closeed,” “considerly,” “throught,” and “openeing,” and some collocations are inaccurate, such as “goes to directly” and “closure reached thier lowest point.” These slips sometimes make the description less clear or less natural. Proofread carefully and choose precise forms for describing data, such as “rose directly” only when appropriate, or simply “rose to,” and “the number of closures reached its lowest point.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including comparisons with “compared with” and time clauses using “before,” so there is some variety in structure. Meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries occur across the response. For example, “The line graph illustrate” needs subject–verb agreement, while “new shop opened” needs a plural noun and an appropriate verb form. In “the number of openeing then goes,” the tense does not match the past period being described. Several sentences also begin with lowercase words after full stops. Review past-tense reporting, singular/plural agreement, and punctuation, then check each sentence for a complete, correctly formed clause.

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