IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Shop Closures & Openings Line Graph (Band 9 Sample)
This Academic Task 1 asks you to summarise a line graph comparing the number of shops that closed and opened in one country each year from 2011 to 2018. A band-9 response gives a clear overview and reports the key figures and comparisons accurately. Below is a model answer of roughly 190 words, followed by why it scores 9 on all four criteria.
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01 · The task
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.
02 · Band 9 sample answer
191 words · Band 9The line graph compares how many shops closed with how many new ones opened in one country each year over an eight-year period from 2011 to 2018.
Overall, the number of new openings fell substantially across the period, while closures fluctuated but ended slightly higher than they began. As a result, the two figures effectively swapped positions: openings clearly outnumbered closures at the start, whereas by 2018 the opposite was true.
In 2011, openings were at their highest, at around 8,500, far exceeding the 6,400 shops that closed. However, openings then plunged to roughly 3,900 in 2012 before recovering to about 6,200 in 2014. Closures, meanwhile, followed a more erratic path, peaking at 7,200 in 2013.
The most dramatic moment came in 2015, when closures collapsed to just 600 — by far the lowest point on the graph — while openings held at around 4,000. From 2016 onwards, however, closures rebounded to roughly 5,200 and stayed there, whereas openings drifted down to just 3,000 by 2018, leaving closures comfortably ahead.
03 · Why this scores Band 9
The response covers both lines, opens with an overview capturing the key message (openings fell, the two lines swapped places), and reports accurate figures (openings 8,500→3,000; the dramatic 600 closures in 2015). It selects the significant movements rather than describing every single year.
The report follows the ideal Task 1 shape — introduction, overview, then detail — and the detail is organised chronologically. Cohesion is natural — "However...", "meanwhile", "The most dramatic moment came in 2015...", "From 2016 onwards" — and the two lines are compared throughout rather than described separately.
Trend vocabulary is precise and varied — "fell substantially", "far exceeding", "plunged", "followed a more erratic path", "collapsed", "rebounded", "drifted down" — and each verb is matched to the correct degree of change, avoiding repetition of "fell" and "rose".
04 · Useful collocations for this task
Tap a phrase to see what it means and how to use it. Natural collocations like these lift your Lexical Resource score.
05 · Frequently asked questions
How do I compare two lines on the same graph?
Compare them throughout rather than describing each separately. Note where one is higher, where they cross, and how the gap changes. This model highlights that openings led at first but closures ended ahead — a comparison, not two isolated descriptions.
Should I mention a single dramatic data point?
Yes — a striking outlier like the 600 closures in 2015 is a key feature and belongs in your answer, and often in the overview too. Reporting the extremes shows you have selected the main features.
What tense should I use?
Past tenses, because the data covers 2011–2018 and is historical ("openings plunged", "closures rebounded"). If a graph included future projections, that portion would take future forms instead.
How long should a Task 1 answer be?
At least 150 words; a band-9 answer is usually 170–200. This model is 191 words, enough to give an overview and report both lines accurately. Spend about 20 minutes on Task 1.
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