Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-28

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 compares the number of shops that closed and the number of new shopes that opened in one country from 2011 to 2018.

At a glance, it reveals that the number of closures fluctuatedbbut generally remained around [redacted phone], except for a dramatic drop in 2015. In contrast, the number of new shopes showen decreasing trend through the period with 8500 in 2011 to about 3000 in 2018. in most years, number of closed shops were more the number of opened.

in 2011, approximately 8500 new shopes opened, significantlymore the 6400 closures. However, in 2012 the number of openings fell sharply about just under the 4000. While, closures remained at around 6000.

Between 2012 and 2014,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the two series and give a relevant overview: closures fluctuated, with a sharp fall in 2015, while openings generally declined. You also make a useful comparison for 2011 and 2012. However, the response addresses the task only partially: it stops mid-sentence at “Between 2012 and 2014,” and therefore omits the later years and a complete account of the main trends. The claim that closures were higher “in most years” is not supported by the chart, since openings exceeded closures in 2011 and 2015. The response is also 44 words below the required minimum, which contributes to the limited coverage. Complete the report and check comparisons against the full data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the report, beginning with an introduction and overview before moving to specific figures for 2011 and 2012. Linking words such as “In contrast” and “However” help signal comparisons. Nevertheless, the progression is incomplete and difficult to follow because the final paragraph ends abruptly at “Between 2012 and 2014,” with no completed point or conclusion. Some connections are also awkward: “While, closures remained…” is not correctly joined to the preceding sentence, and the overview’s comparison is not clearly supported. Use complete paragraphs for the overview and key details, and connect each comparison in a full sentence.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some appropriate task vocabulary, including “fluctuated,” “dramatic drop,” “fell sharply,” and “approximately,” which helps describe changes and figures. The range is nevertheless limited, and several noticeable spelling or word-choice errors reduce accuracy: “shopes” appears more than once, “fluctuatedbbut” contains a typing error, and “significantlymore” is incorrectly joined. Phrases such as “fell sharply about just under the 4000” are also not natural or precise. Aim to use accurate collocations such as “fell to just under 4,000” and vary the language for rises, falls, and stability. Proofreading would remove avoidable errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts some complex structures, for example “In contrast, the number of new shopes showen decreasing trend…” and “While, closures remained…,” but these are not controlled accurately. Errors include missing articles (“a decreasing trend”), incorrect verb forms (“showen”), and subject–verb agreement (“number … were”). The sentence beginning “in most years” also lacks an article and has an incorrect comparative construction (“more the number”). Punctuation and capitalisation are inconsistent, and the final fragment is incomplete. These frequent problems sometimes make relationships between ideas unclear. Practise building accurate comparison sentences first, then add subordinate clauses while checking verb agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries.

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