Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 job in four (manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare) sectors of the economy in the US in 1960 to 2020.

Overall, manufacturing sector recorded highest jobs before dropped gradually while on the other side, retail and healthcare departments experienced a gradual increase in jobs towards the end of period and maintained steadily. Meanwhile, agriculture is the only one sector which generated less jobs throughout the period.

In 1960, retail recorded 6 million jobs which gradually increased and in 2000 it upsurged to 15 millions and by the end it was nearly 16 millions. By contrast, healthcare field recorded approximately 3 millions in 1960 followed by gradual rise to 5 millions in 1980 and in 2000 dramatically

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. Because the text is incomplete and cuts off mid-sentence ('in 2000 dramatically'), the task is not fully addressed. While the overview identifies some trends, the lack of completion means that the data is not fully reported or compared. To improve, you must ensure you complete the summary of all four sectors and provide a full analysis of the data points. The current length prevents a full development of the main features, leading to a penalty for task completion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, and there is a basic attempt at logical progression. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Overall,' 'Meanwhile,' and 'By contrast' to link ideas. However, because the text ends abruptly, the overall coherence is disrupted. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'towards the end of period and maintained steadily,' where the subject is ambiguous. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus and that your sentences are fully formed to maintain a logical flow throughout the entire response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to discuss the graph, using terms like 'upsurged,' 'gradually,' and 'sectors.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'generated less jobs' (should be 'fewer jobs') and 'number of job' (should be 'jobs'). The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Focusing on correct pluralization and using more sophisticated collocations for describing trends will help improve your lexical range and accuracy.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the quality of the writing. Examples include 'manufacturing sector recorded highest jobs' (missing articles) and 'in 1960 to 2020' (should be 'between 1960 and 2020'). Additionally, the sentence structure is incomplete at the end of the response. While the meaning is generally clear, the persistent errors in articles, prepositions, and sentence completion indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of basic grammatical rules.

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

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