Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-20
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 tracks the number of stores that shut down and the number of shops that newly opened in a country within the time period 7 years starting from 2011 to 2018.
Overall, the number of closures shops was very dramatic and highly plummed in 2015. Remain stable after that. However, newly opening shops were high in nubers during beginig time and decline slighly after that.
The figure began at more than 6000 stores, decline slighly in the year 2012. In 2013, before reaching a peak of 6100. It then decline largely and reach almost negligible numbers in 2015. Surge in 2026 with 5000 shops and remain stable to rest of years.
Furthermore, the opening shops are highest in beggening year 8500 respectively and dropped steadily to upcoming year with 4000 stores. And grew within the year 2014 then decline slighly and remain almost stable within 2017. The lowest happened in 2018 with 3,000 shops.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
The response identifies both series and gives an overview of the sharp fall in closures and the general decline in openings. However, several key details are inaccurate or unclear, which limits how fully the graph is reported. Closures peak at about 7,200 in 2013, not 6,100, and the dramatic low in 2015 is around 600; the account also incorrectly says the figure surged in “2026” rather than 2016. The opening trend is not a steady decline: it falls sharply from 8,500 to 3,900 in 2012, then rises to 6,200 in 2014 before falling. The overview should state the main contrasts accurately, and the body should compare the two series using reliable figures.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate descriptions of closures and openings. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression within sentences is often disrupted by fragments, such as “In 2013, before reaching a peak…” and “Surge in 2026…”. The linking words “Overall,” “However,” and “Furthermore” help signal stages, but some connections are mechanical or do not clarify the relationship between figures. The final paragraph also moves through years without consistently showing how the opening trend compares with closures. Use complete sentences and organise each body paragraph around a clear sequence of changes, with accurate time references and comparisons.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The response uses some relevant vocabulary for describing a line graph, including “peak,” “dropped,” “surge,” “stable,” and “lowest.” These choices show an attempt to vary trend language. However, the range is limited and several word forms, spellings, or collocations are inaccurate, sometimes making the meaning harder to follow: “highly plummed,” “decline slighly,” “beggening,” and “opening shops are highest in beggening year.” “Negligible numbers” also overstates the 2015 closure figure, which is low but not zero. Aim for precise, conventional phrases such as “fell sharply,” “reached a low,” and “the number of new openings,” and check spelling and word forms carefully.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
There are attempts to use both simple and more complex forms, and the overall meaning can usually be understood. However, sentence control is inconsistent, with frequent errors in verb forms, agreement, and sentence completeness. For example, “The figure began …, decline slightly” needs a past-tense verb, while “In 2013, before reaching a peak” is an incomplete clause. “The number of closures shops” also has an incorrect noun structure, and “Surge in 2026” lacks a subject and finite verb. Several sentences join multiple changes without clear grammatical links. Practise forming complete subject–verb sentences in the past tense, then add subordinate clauses only when their relationship to the main clause is clear.
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