Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-05

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)

The number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US in the time of four decades since 1960 is illustrated in the provided line graph.

Overall, the most significant trends were the once top manufacturing jobs having a significant downward trend, which is now following after retail and agriculture who stood at similar levels

The manufacturing was the in the top of the charts till it experienced a spike in the 1980 with 20 million jobs. Since then, it experienced a sharp decline, dropping to around 5 million by 2010. In contrast, the agriculture sector had a steady growth over the 60 year period reaching 16 million in 2020. Despite the healthcare having had the lowest employments initially, it is now matching the level of US's leading employer sector having the same figure.

Lastly, agriculture employment remained consistently low, hovering under 5 million throughout the entire timeframe.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the graph, but there are significant inaccuracies in the data reporting. For instance, you state that agriculture had 'steady growth' reaching 16 million, whereas the graph shows it remaining consistently low. Furthermore, you claim agriculture remained 'consistently low' in the final paragraph, which directly contradicts your earlier statement. These factual errors suggest a misreading of the data, which prevents a clear and accurate overview. While you attempt to identify trends, the inconsistencies in your reporting of the figures mean the task is not fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical flow is hindered by the factual contradictions mentioned above. The use of cohesive devices like 'In contrast' and 'Lastly' is present, but they do not always connect ideas logically because the underlying data interpretation is flawed. The overview is somewhat confusing, as it mentions sectors that do not align with the subsequent body paragraphs. To improve, ensure that your summary of trends is consistent with the data presented in the body paragraphs and that each paragraph focuses on a clear, distinct group of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You use a range of vocabulary appropriate for describing trends, such as 'significant downward trend', 'sharp decline', and 'hovering'. However, there are issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'the in the top of the charts' and 'lowest employments'. These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your general intent. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise terminology for data description and ensure that your collocations are natural and accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the once top manufacturing jobs having a significant downward trend' (which lacks a main verb) and 'retail and agriculture who stood at similar levels' (using 'who' for sectors). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of commas. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a lack of control over more complex structures.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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