Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-14

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 5.0)

The graph demonstrates the total numbers of shops in one particular country that opened and closed between the span of seven years.

Overall, the shops opening in 2011 was more than 6000 which declined to 5100 in 2018. Shops closures was at 8500 in 2011 and fell sharply to 3000 in 2018.

The shops opening witnessed minor fluctuation throughout the time period with sudden decline in 2015 at 5000. A year later it was at 5100 shops opening and this remained almost same in 2018.

In contrast the shops closure saw notable fluctuation throughtout the time period. It was highest in 2011 with 8500, which declined to 4000 in 2012 and 6000 in 2014 beofre falling to 4000 again 2015. The numbers remained constant with slightly increased in 2017. It moderately declined to 3000 in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies the broad contrast between openings and closures and notes that both end lower than they began, but its account of the data is substantially inaccurate. The overview reverses the 2011 figures: openings were about 8,500 and closures about 6,400, not the other way around. It also says openings fell to 5,100 in 2018, whereas they were about 3,000; closures were about 5,200, not 3,000. Several intermediate figures are also misreported, including the sharp fall in closures to roughly 600 in 2015. The response is under the required 150 words. To improve, select the main trends accurately, distinguish the two series, and support the overview with correctly read figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, a brief overview, and separate descriptions of openings and closures. The contrast marker “In contrast” helps signal the shift between the series, and the information generally follows the timeline. However, the overview and later details do not consistently connect: for example, the opening figures in the overview conflict with the later account, making the progression harder to follow. Some links are also mechanical, with repeated “It” and “The numbers” whose references are not always clear. Use clearer subject references such as “shop openings” and “closures,” and organise each series around its main rises, falls, and endpoints.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “declined,” “fluctuation,” “fell sharply,” and “moderately declined.” These choices help describe movement in a line graph, and the meaning is generally understandable. However, some wording is imprecise or repetitive: “total numbers of shops” suggests the total stock of shops rather than annual openings and closures, while “shops opening” and “shops closure” are awkward forms. There are also spelling errors such as “throughtout” and “beofre,” and “minor fluctuation” does not accurately describe all the changes. Use standard collocations such as “the number of shops opening” and “the number of closures,” and check spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is some variety in sentence structure, including a complex sentence with “which” and a contrast introduced by “In contrast.” Most sentences remain understandable, but errors in agreement, articles, and sentence construction are noticeable. For example, “the shops opening in 2011 was” should use a plural subject or a singular “number,” and “Shops closures was” has both an incorrect noun form and verb agreement. The phrase “with slightly increased in 2017” is also grammatically incomplete; use a structure such as “with a slight increase in 2017.” Continue practising accurate subject–verb agreement and complete comparative clauses while retaining the range of sentence forms attempted here.

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