Shop Closures and Openings 2011-2018

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.

Annotated response

2 correction notes

The line graph illustrates the fluctuating trends in store openings and closures within a particular country from 2011 to 2018. Overall, experienced considerable variability throughout the specified period. However, closures consistently exceeded openings every year except for 2011 and 2015.

The number of store closures oscillated between approximately 6,000 and 7,000 during the initial four years. Subsequently, there was a sharp decline in 2015, reaching a minimum of around 600. Nevertheless, this figure surged to approximately 5,000 in the and maintained this level until the end of the observed period.

In 2011, approximately 8,500 stores opened, resulting in a net increase of 2,000. Following a significant drop to 4,000 in 2012, store openings rebounded, nearly matching closure rates in 2014 at slightly over 6,000. This figure then declined again to the 2012 level in 2015, persisting until it further plummeted to an unprecedented low of 3,000 in 2018.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.0

The response demonstrates a strong command of data selection, accurately tracking both lines with well-chosen figures and a clear comparative overview. Its main limitations are a slight shortfall in length and a couple of approximations, such as describing closures as holding at about 5,000 through to 2018 when the final values sit slightly higher.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

Task Achievement

7.0

The response covers the main trends of both lines with a clear overview and mostly accurate data, though it is 13 words short of the minimum and rounds some values, such as closures from 2016 to 2018, a little loosely.

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0

Ideas progress logically from overview to closures then openings, with cohesive devices like 'subsequently' and 'nevertheless' used naturally and referencing handled clearly.

Lexical Resource

7.0

Vocabulary is flexible and precise for describing change, including 'oscillated', 'surged', 'rebounded' and 'plummeted', with only minor imprecision in phrases like 'maintained this level'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.0

A wide range of structures is used accurately, including complex sentences with participial and relative clauses, and errors are rare and non-impeding.

More responses with feedback

View all 5 responses (6.0–7.0)