Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-16

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 line graph depicts the number of closed stores and number of newly introduced stores in one country from 2011 to 2018. Units are measured in thousands.

Overall, it can be seen that the line of closed shops declined dramatically while the amount of opened shops flactuated a lot.

In terms of openning shops, the number was over 6000 in 2011 and reached down 6000 in 2012 after experencing a tragic drop. Then it incline gradually till 2013 and suddenly reached a bottom in 2015 which was below 1000. After that it bounched back and reached 5000 in 2016 and remaind same till 2018.

Regarding the closed shops, the number was more than 8000 in 2011 and ir experienced ahuge drop in 2012 and then it spiked a bit in 2014 after that the line went down g

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies the two series and gives an overview, but it does not accurately report the graph’s main features, so the task is only partially addressed. Several figures and trends are reversed or misplaced: openings were about 8,500 in 2011, not just over 6,000, and they fell to around 3,900 in 2012; closures were about 6,400 in 2011, not over 8,000. The claim that closures declined dramatically is also incomplete: they fell to roughly 600 in 2015, then recovered to around 5,200 by 2016. The account ends mid-sentence, leaving the later closure figures and a clear comparison unfinished. The response is also 12 words below the required minimum. Select the key highs, lows and overall patterns, and check each figure against the graph.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

There is a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for openings and closures. This gives the reader a basic route through the response, and sequencing words such as “Then” and “After that” help show time order. However, the progression is weakened by inaccurate descriptions and by the final paragraph stopping at “the line went down g”, which leaves the account incomplete. Some linking is also mechanical, with several events joined by repeated “and then” patterns rather than clearly grouped comparisons. To improve, organise each series around its major changes, use transitions selectively, and finish with a complete comparison of the two lines.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant graph vocabulary, including “declined dramatically”, “fluctuated”, “spiked” and “reached a bottom”, showing an attempt to describe movement rather than simply list figures. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this task: “newly introduced stores” is not a natural way to describe shop openings, and “tragic drop” is too emotive for neutral data reporting. Spelling errors such as “flactuated”, “openning”, “experencing”, “bounched” and “remaind” are noticeable and reduce control. Aim for precise, neutral collocations and check spelling carefully; for example, use “shop openings”, “fell sharply” and “recovered” to describe the relevant trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more extended sentences, and the opening sentence communicates the topic clearly. However, control is uneven, particularly in the longer trend descriptions. For example, “Then it incline gradually till 2013” has an incorrect verb form, while “after experencing a tragic drop” is attached awkwardly to the preceding clause. The final sentence is incomplete, and the repeated use of “and then” creates run-on structures that make relationships between events less clear. There are also inconsistent article and number patterns in phrases such as “the number of closed shops”. Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use past-tense forms consistently when describing the historical data.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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