Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-12

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)

The graph illustrates the number of jobs in four economy sector in US between 1960 and 2020.There are two basic trends upward and downward.Firstly, the number of jobs in Retail rose gradually.Secondly, the number of jobs in agriculture fell steadily.

In 1960 to 1980, the number of jobs in Manufacturing rose gradually but in other 40 years the jobs in Manufacturing fell steadily. The number of jobs in Agriculture was also fell graduallu from almost 7 millions to just under 3 millions.

During 60 years, the number of jobs in Retail rose gradually from almost 7 millions to almost 17 millions. Between 1960 to 2020, the numbers of jobs in Health care was also rose gradually from almost 2 millions to just under 17 millions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify relevant overall movements, especially the rise in retail and healthcare jobs and the decline in agriculture, and you include several approximate figures that broadly match the graph. However, the overview is limited to “two basic trends” and does not capture the important contrast that manufacturing peaked in 1980 before falling, while healthcare and retail both rose substantially. Some details are imprecise: manufacturing fell over the final 40 years, but the response does not report its starting or ending level; agriculture fell from about 6 million, not almost 7 million. The response also contains 125 words, below the required 150, so the account is underdeveloped. Add a fuller overview and compare the sectors’ positions at key dates.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction and overview are followed by paragraphs describing changes over time. Sequencing phrases such as “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “During 60 years” help signal the order of information. However, progression is not consistently clear because the first paragraph announces trends and later paragraphs repeat them without developing a systematic comparison. The time framing also shifts between “In 1960 to 1980” and “in other 40 years,” which makes the periods less precise. Grouping the data by contrasting patterns—for example, manufacturing and agriculture against retail and healthcare—would create a clearer progression. Use linking expressions selectively and ensure each paragraph adds a distinct comparison rather than restating an earlier point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “rose,” “fell,” “gradually,” and “from … to …,” so the main trends are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several choices are repeated, particularly “rose gradually” and “fell steadily.” There are also noticeable word-form and collocation problems, such as “four economy sector,” “the numbers of jobs,” and “almost 7 millions.” “Health care” is understandable, but consistent use of “healthcare” would be more appropriate here. These issues do not prevent the reader from following the main message, but they reduce precision and naturalness. Build a wider set of accurate expressions for describing peaks, declines, and comparisons, and check plural forms and common chart-reporting collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences with time clauses, but the range is limited and errors occur frequently. For example, “the number of jobs in Agriculture was also fell” combines two verb forms incorrectly; use “also fell.” In “In 1960 to 1980,” the time expression needs a suitable preposition, such as “From 1960 to 1980.” There are also problems with articles, plurals, and sentence boundaries: “four economy sector in US” needs clearer noun forms and articles, while missing spaces after full stops make the writing harder to read. These errors sometimes interrupt fluency, although the intended trends remain mostly understandable. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and vary sentence patterns only after securing the basic grammar.

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