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 illustrates the number of old shops that closed and the number of new shops that opened in a country from 2011 and 2018.

Overall, the closure shops face a dramatical downwrd in a year and then fluctuated in in the remaining years. The opening of shops slightly increase and sharply fall after the 2014 and jumped up in the next year.

The closed shops, in 2011 it was started from the 8500 and faced the sharply fall in the next year, reached at 4000 shops in 2012. The amount of the shops rose significantly in the next two consequently year, came at above 6000 shops. In 2015, it reached at 4000 shops again and stayed consistantly around 4000 shops in 2016 and 2017, closed at 3000 shops in 2018.

The opened shops, it continued from 6300 shops in 2011 and fluctuated in the next 3 year and went out at 6500 shops in 2014. Moreover, it sharply fall and went below the 1000 shops in 2015 and rised again above the 5000 shops in 2016, approximately consistant and closed at 5100 shops in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response makes an attempt to describe both series and includes an overview, but the account is only minimally accurate because the two data sets are repeatedly confused. For example, it assigns 8,500 in 2011 and 4,000 in 2012 to closures, although these are opening figures; it also says closures fell below 1,000 in 2015, when the openings were about 4,000 and closures about 600. The overview likewise reverses the main patterns: closures did not simply fall and fluctuate, while openings did not rise slightly before falling after 2014. To improve, identify each line correctly, then report the major features accurately, especially the sharp closure drop in 2015 and the overall decline in openings.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for the two categories. This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and linking phrases such as “Overall,” “Moreover,” and “in the next year” help signal relationships. However, progression is weakened by unclear sentence construction, including “The closed shops, in 2011 it was started…” and “The opened shops, it continued…”. The repeated use of “next” also makes the sequence sound mechanical, and the inaccurate switching between series makes references difficult to follow. Use clear topic sentences and connect each figure explicitly to either closures or openings; organise each paragraph in chronological order without repeating the same transition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant trend vocabulary, including “fluctuated,” “rose significantly,” “sharply fall,” and “stayed … around,” so the reader can recognise the intended comparisons. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “dramatical downwrd,” “closed shops,” “went out at,” and “rised again.” Spelling errors, including “consistantly” and “consistant,” also reduce precision. These problems sometimes make the intended trend harder to interpret, particularly when combined with the data confusion. Build a reliable set of chart verbs and noun phrases, and check spelling and word forms before submitting. Prefer precise expressions such as “fell sharply” and “stood at” rather than improvised combinations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

There is an attempt to use both simple statements and longer sentences with time clauses, for example, “The amount of the shops rose significantly in the next two consequently year.” However, control of sentence structure is weak: several sentences begin with a noun phrase and then restart with a pronoun, as in “The closed shops, in 2011 it was started…”. Verb forms and agreement are also frequently inaccurate, including “the opening of shops slightly increase,” “it sharply fall,” and “rised again.” Articles, prepositions, and plural forms are inconsistent, as in “reached at 4000 shops” and “two … year.” These errors can obscure relationships between figures. Practise complete subject–verb sentences and past-tense reporting, then proofread agreement and sentence boundaries.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.