Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-31

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 5.5)

The provided line graph depicts the comparison between number of shops closed and opened over a time period between [redacted phone].

Overall, the line chart reveals the number of shop closures decreased between 2011 to 2018 and the major decline showed in 2015.Subsequently, the number of shop opening also dreceased with minor raise in 2014.

As reagards the number of shop that closed decreased from more than 6000 to 6000 during 2011 to 2012. However the closing of shops inclined in 2013 then continously drop to less than 1000 in 2015. The number of shops closed were grown up to 5200 in 2018.

A glance at the chart that shows the number of shops were opened also droped from almost 8500 to 4000 during 2011 to 2012 then they grew to around 6000 in 2014. Meanwhile, the opening of shops remained constant between [redacted phone] then suddenly decreased to 3000 in 2018. However, in the 2014 the number of shop closures and opening were at the same level, is 6000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify both series and include a general overview, noting the sharp fall in closures in 2015 and the later decline in openings. However, the overview is not fully accurate: closures did not decrease overall from 2011 to 2018, since they ended at about 5,200 compared with roughly 6,400 at the start, but they fluctuated considerably, including a dramatic low in 2015. The claim that closures and openings were at the same level in 2014 is also incorrect; they were approximately 6,500 and 6,200. Several key movements are reported, but the account is selective and some comparisons are unclear. A more precise overview and accurate comparisons would make the main features clearer and more fully address the graph.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and separate paragraphs describing closures and openings. This gives the reader a basic route through the information. However, progression within the paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow, and some linking words do not express the relationship accurately. For example, “However” introduces the 2013 rise in closures without a clear contrast, while “Meanwhile” and “However” in the final paragraph make the sequence of opening figures feel repetitive. The overview also combines trends that would benefit from clearer separation. Organise each series chronologically, use transitions only where they clarify a contrast or change, and make references such as “they” unambiguous.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing a graph, including “decreased,” “remained constant,” “decline,” and “around,” so the topic is generally clear. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate, such as “the number of shop opening,” “inclined” for an increase, and “grown up” for a rise in a figure. Spelling errors including “dreceased,” “reagards,” and “droped” also reduce accuracy. These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding the broad trends, but they make the description less precise and natural. Practise common graph collocations such as “the number of shops that opened,” “rose to,” and “fell sharply,” and check spelling and word forms during revision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses beginning with “However” and “then,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. Nevertheless, errors occur frequently in sentence construction, agreement, articles, and punctuation. For example, “between 2011 to 2012” uses an incorrect preposition pattern, while “the number of shop closures and opening were at the same level” has a subject–verb agreement problem and an incomplete comparison structure. The overview sentence “the number of shop opening also dreceased with minor raise” also lacks accurate article and noun forms. Several sentences run together without spaces after full stops. Build accuracy with patterns such as “from … to …,” “the number … was,” and “there was a slight rise,” then proofread sentence boundaries.

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