Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-19

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 depicts the annual number of shop closures and shop opening in a singe country from 2011 to 2018.

Overall, shop closures consistantly outnumbered in most of the years, with only exception of 2011 and 2015. Both faced considerably fluctuations, with opening peaking in 2011 and closure of shops reaching at lowest in 2015.

Regarding the closures, the number began with approximately 6200 in 2011. facing a slight decrease just below 6000 in 2012. then surged to the peak of 7200 in 2013. About 6500 in 2014 it witnessed dramatic downward trend and stood at only 500 shops. After recovering in following year and remain steady till 2018 with around 5100 shops.

In contrast, the number of shop opening started at about 8500 shops in 2011. then dipped sharply with 4000 shops in 2012. It faced graudal increase in following years and ended with 6200 in 2014. A modest decrease in 2015 with 4000 shops. Thereafter, the figure rebounded steadily, with slight rose to 4100 in 2017. The figures ended with 3000 shops in 2018.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover both series and give a relevant overview, identifying the opening peak in 2011 and the closure low in 2015. Several figures and movements are reported accurately, including closures rising to about 7,200 in 2013 and openings falling to around 3,000 by 2018. However, the overview contains a key comparison error: closures did not outnumber openings in most years; they were higher in 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2018, but lower in 2011, 2014 and 2015. The 2015 closure figure is also substantially misreported as 500 rather than about 600. Some later trends are unclear or inaccurate, particularly the description of openings as steadily rebounding after 2015, when they were flat in 2016, rose slightly in 2017, then fell.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs for closures and openings. This makes the two data series easy to follow, and transitions such as “Regarding the closures” and “In contrast” help signal the shift in focus. The sequence within each paragraph is generally chronological. To make the progression more consistently clear, connect some of the sentence fragments and clarify references to time periods. For example, “After recovering in following year and remain steady till 2018” does not clearly identify the recovery year or explain the subsequent changes. The repeated sentence openings with “then” also make some links feel mechanical; vary these while keeping the chronology explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of trend vocabulary for a graph, including “surged,” “dipped sharply,” “dramatic downward trend,” and “rebounded.” These choices help communicate substantial changes, and the meaning is generally understandable. However, some word forms, spelling, and collocations are inaccurate, such as “singe,” “consistantly,” “graudal,” “shop opening,” and “slight rose.” “Faced considerably fluctuations” is also an awkward combination, and “closure of shops reaching at lowest” is not natural phrasing. Aim for accurate, conventional expressions such as “shop openings,” “fluctuated considerably,” and “reached its lowest point.” More precise vocabulary should also distinguish a steady trend from a small rise or a later fall.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including “with only exception of 2011 and 2015” and “with slight rose to 4100 in 2017.” However, sentence boundaries and verb forms are not consistently controlled. Several statements begin with lowercase “facing,” “then,” or “about” and function as fragments rather than complete sentences. In “After recovering in following year and remain steady till 2018,” the verb forms do not fit together, and the subject of the recovery is unclear. Articles and agreement also need attention, as in “with only exception” and “the number of shop opening.” Use complete sentences, maintain consistent past-tense verbs, and check articles and singular/plural forms to improve accuracy.

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