Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-15

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 line graph illustartes how many shopes closed and how many opened between 2011 and 2018 in one country.

Overall, in 2011 more shopes opened that closed, while in 2018 the number of closures was higher than number of openings.

In 2011, there figure of shop openings was equal to around 8,500 and drasticly droped in 2012 to reach approximatley 4,000. For the next two years, until 2014 the number of openings steadly rose to reach a number of arround 6,000. Between 2015 and 2017 the number of openings was relatively steady at around 4,000 with modest growth in 2017. In 2018 the number of shop openings reached its lowest level at around 3,000.

As for shop closures, there was around 6,400 shop closures in 2011, with modest decline in 2012. In 2013 however, the number rose to reach its peak at approximately 7,100. Since then the number of closures was lower. between 2013 and 2014 figured declined drasticly from around 6,500 to 500, to rose in 2015 to 5,100. Since 2015 the number was fluctuaded between 5100 and 5000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the two series and give a relevant overview: openings were higher in 2011, while closures exceeded openings in 2018. You also report several key movements, including the opening peak in 2011 and the closure peak in 2013. However, the account is only partly accurate and some important features are unclear. Most seriously, closures fell to about 600 in 2015, but you place the sharp fall between 2013 and 2014 and describe a rise in 2015; the chart instead shows about 6,500 in 2014, then the low point in 2015, followed by a rebound in 2016. The opening figures for 2013–14 are also described as rising, although they fall in 2014. Check the year-to-year sequence and make the overview cover the major extremes and fluctuations accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, a brief overview, and separate paragraphs for openings and closures. This makes the two series easy to follow, and phrases such as “As for shop closures” signal the shift effectively. The chronology is generally maintained, and linking expressions including “Overall,” “however,” and “Since then” help connect points. To make the progression more consistently clear, ensure each comparison is attached to the correct year; the closure paragraph’s sudden move from 2014 to 500 and then to 2015 makes the sequence confusing. Some transitions are also repetitive or imprecise. Grouping the main phases and using clearer references to the years would make cohesion more flexible and less dependent on simple time markers.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a suitable range of graph vocabulary, including “peak,” “modest decline,” “relatively steady,” and “fluctuated,” so the reader can understand the general trends. However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, such as “illustartes,” “shopes,” “drasticly,” and “steadly.” Some phrases are also awkward or imprecise: “there figure of shop openings” and “reached a number of around 6,000” could be expressed more naturally as “the number of openings” and “rose to around 6,000.” Repeated use of “number” and “around” limits variety. Aim for accurate forms and more precise trend language, while avoiding vocabulary that suggests the wrong movement, such as “rose” when the figures actually fell.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including clauses beginning “while,” “with,” and “Since then,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, errors in sentence structure and verb forms sometimes make the data sequence difficult to interpret. For example, “with modest decline” needs an article, and “to rose in 2015” uses an incorrect verb form after “to.” In “Since then the number of closures was lower,” the tense is not well suited to describing a trend continuing across the chart period. There are also problems with articles and comparison structures in “higher than number of openings.” Practise accurate past-tense reporting and complete comparison patterns, and proofread punctuation and sentence boundaries to improve control.

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