Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graph below gives information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US, 1960-2020

Student answer (Band 5.5)

In the given line graph, It shows the data about the total number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US in the year 1960 to 2020.

Overall, in 1960 manufacturing was having most of the in the US market. Then 2020, in healthcare and retail shows highest amount of the jobs. Agriculture does not seem to get any position in the job sectors.

In 1960, manufacturing was leading in the market for jobs but after reaching peak in the year 1980 at 20 million jobs, the downfall started goes through the year 2020 with the jobs around 12 million. Retail sector shows an intersting report, in 1960, it started from 6 million jobs and had a great climb by the the year 2000. After that it was slowly growing throgh 2020 having 16 million jobs.

Agriculture sector had started from the same point as retail but the results were quite different. By 1980, it shows the decreasing pattern. It stabels for 2000 and after that shows downfall till 2020 having around 2 millions jobs in the market. Healthcare sector was having the least amount of jobs in 1960 but after only 20 years, it showed a great climb with the jobs. From 1980 to 2020 the highest increase was seen with the jobs of 16 million, same as retail sector.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main patterns: manufacturing peaks in 1980 and then declines, retail and healthcare rise, and agriculture falls overall. You also make a useful comparison by noting that retail and agriculture begin at the same level and that retail and healthcare finish equally high. Most figures are broadly consistent with the graph, although manufacturing ends at about 13 million rather than 12 million. The overview needs greater precision: saying agriculture “does not seem to get any position” is unclear, since it remains a sector with jobs, while the key point is that it is consistently the smallest or among the smallest and declines. Some trends are less fully described, particularly healthcare’s steady rise and retail’s continued, modest growth after 2000.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the sectors. The information generally progresses in time order, and comparisons such as agriculture and retail starting at the same level help connect the data. However, some linking is mechanical or unclear. For example, “Then 2020” does not clearly signal a comparison, and “after reaching peak … the downfall started” makes the sequence difficult to follow. The overview also groups the final figures imprecisely. Improve cohesion by using clear time markers and contrast phrases, and organise the body around related trends—for example, rising sectors together and declining sectors together. Ensure each sentence has an unmistakable subject and reference.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of trend vocabulary, including “peak,” “decreasing pattern,” “climb,” and “downfall,” and the reader can usually understand the comparisons. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a graph: “leading in the market for jobs,” “great climb,” and “does not seem to get any position” do not express the data precisely. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “intersting,” “throgh,” and “stabels.” Prefer standard, precise terms such as “number of jobs,” “rose steadily,” “declined,” and “remained stable.” Avoid repeating “jobs” in awkward phrases; use “employment” or “employment levels” where appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, and the overall meaning is generally recoverable. Some grammatical errors, however, make several sentences awkward or unclear. For example, “In the given line graph, It shows” has an unnecessary subject and incorrect capitalisation, while “the downfall started goes through the year 2020” combines verb forms incorrectly. Other examples include “manufacturing was having most” and “Agriculture sector had started,” where articles and verb forms are not well controlled. Work on forming direct, complete sentences with consistent past-tense reporting: for instance, “Manufacturing had the most jobs in 1960” and “Its decline continued until 2020.” Check articles, agreement, and punctuation when editing.

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