Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

The given chart compares jobs given in different sectors in US in the time frame of 1960 to 2020.

Overall the job in sector of retail and healthcare incresed over time, while agruculture and manufacturing declined over the course of time.

In 1960 retail and heathcare sector started to rise in job vacancies , in 1980

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the chart’s subject and period, and your overview attempts to compare the sectors. However, the overview is inaccurate: manufacturing rises from 15 million jobs in 1960 to 20 million in 1980 before declining, so it does not decline throughout the period. The response also stops mid-sentence at “in 1980,” leaving the data description incomplete and omitting the key figures and comparisons for 2000 and 2020. The required minimum of 150 words is not met; at 56 words, the response is far too short to summarise the main features adequately. To improve, complete the report and describe the contrasting trends with accurate figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening sentence is followed by an overview, and “Overall” signals a summary of the trends. This gives the reader some sense of the intended structure. However, the report ends abruptly after “in 1980,” so there is no developed sequence of details or concluding comparison. The overview also groups sectors together without explaining their different patterns, which weakens progression. Use a clear structure with an introduction, a concise overview, and one or two paragraphs comparing the sectors across the years. Complete each sentence and use linking expressions to show contrasts, such as “whereas” or “by comparison.”

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The response uses some relevant chart vocabulary, including “sectors,” “time frame,” “increased,” and “declined,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is very limited, and several word choices or forms are inaccurate: “jobs given” is not a natural way to describe employment figures, while “job vacancies” suggests unfilled positions rather than the number of jobs. There are also spelling errors in “incresed,” “agruculture,” and “heathcare.” These issues reduce precision, particularly in a short response. Build a wider set of accurate terms for describing figures and trends, and check spelling before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You produce a few understandable sentence patterns, including a comparison using “while” in the overview. However, the grammatical range is narrow, and errors appear in basic sentence construction. For example, “the job in sector of retail and healthcare” has problems with number and article use, and “In 1960 retail and heathcare sector started to rise in job vacancies” has an unclear subject and awkward tense pattern. The final phrase, “in 1980,” is left without a completed clause, so the sentence is incomplete. Practise forming complete sentences with accurate articles and plural nouns, and use past-tense verbs consistently when reporting the historical data.

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