Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-06

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 5.0)

The line graph illustrates the number of job in million across four economic sector in the United State Manufacturing , Retail , Agriculture , and Healthcare from 1960 to 2020.

Overall employ in Retail and healthcare experienced significant overall the 60 year period where as job in Manufacturing is growing up for 20 year . The job in Manufacturing starting 15 million to 20 million . After the peak 20 million job in Manufacturing the downfall start for 60 year .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. Furthermore, the content is underdeveloped. While the student identifies the four sectors and the time frame, the analysis is superficial. The description of the trends is fragmented and lacks the necessary detail to provide a clear summary of the main features. Comparisons between the sectors are largely absent, and the data points mentioned are imprecise. To improve, the student must provide a more comprehensive overview of all four sectors, including specific data points and clear comparative analysis, while ensuring the response meets the minimum length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is very short, making it difficult to assess paragraphing and cohesive structure. There is a basic attempt at an introduction and an overview, but the lack of development prevents a logical flow of ideas. Cohesive devices are almost entirely absent, and the transition between sentences is abrupt. The text lacks the necessary structure to guide the reader through the data effectively. To improve, the student should focus on grouping information logically—perhaps by sector or by trend—and using linking words such as 'whereas', 'in contrast', or 'subsequently' to connect ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and repetitive. There are several errors in word form and usage, such as 'employ' instead of 'employment' and 'economic sector' instead of 'economic sectors'. The range of vocabulary is insufficient to describe trends accurately; for instance, 'growing up' is not appropriate for describing statistical trends in a graph. The student relies on basic terminology and struggles with collocations. To improve, the student should learn specific vocabulary for describing graphs, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', 'peaked', and 'declined', and ensure correct word forms are used.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with subject-verb agreement ('job in Manufacturing is growing'), pluralization ('four economic sector'), and article usage. The sentence structures are simple and lack the variety required for higher bands. There are also punctuation errors and missing words throughout the text. To improve, the student needs to focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring that subjects and verbs agree and that nouns are correctly pluralized. Practicing the use of complex sentences, such as those using relative clauses or subordinating conjunctions, will also help improve the grammatical range.

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