Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-10

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)

This is a line graph-chart which shows the numbers of jobs in major four sectors of economy in US, from [redacted phone]. This contains manufracturing, retails, agriculture and healthcare.

For an instance we sees that due to Industrial Revolution manufracturing is at its peak in 1960 (i.e. about 15 million jobs which later grows to 20 million at 1980, but later declines gradually till 12-13 millions job in 2020. While in retails which is about 5-5.5 million jobs in 1960 increases with greater profits and got up to 15 million jobs by the year 2020.

And for other sectors like agriculture which also has 5-5.5 million jobs in 1960 declines with a drastic rate in contrast to the growth of population, which in the 2020 stops around 1-2 million agricultural jobs. And in healthcare sector which is around 2-3 million jobs by 1960 increased with a great rate and reaches to 15 million by 2020.

This shows that due to developement agriculture and manufracturing sector losses their jobs while retails and healthcare got major push due to high population boost.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all four sectors and identifies key trends such as the decline in agriculture and manufacturing versus the growth in retail and healthcare. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, the mention of the 'Industrial Revolution' is an external assumption not supported by the graph, and the explanation for trends (e.g., 'high population boost') is speculative rather than data-driven. While the main features are reported, the comparison between sectors could be more integrated to better highlight the shifting economic landscape. The overview is present but lacks a clear synthesis of the overall patterns.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the information. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally awkward, such as 'For an instance we sees that' and 'And for other sectors'. The progression of ideas is logical, but the transitions between sentences feel repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall flow would benefit from a wider variety of linking words and more sophisticated paragraph transitions to connect the contrasting trends more effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several spelling errors, such as 'manufracturing' (repeatedly) and 'developement'. The student relies on basic phrasing like 'got up to' and 'major push', which are informal for an Academic Task 1 report. While the student successfully identifies the sectors, the range of vocabulary is limited, and the errors in spelling and word choice occasionally draw attention, preventing a higher score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('we sees', 'sector losses'), incorrect preposition usage ('at 1980', 'in 2020 stops'), and awkward phrasing ('drastic rate in contrast to the growth'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of hyphens and commas. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors indicates a lack of control over complex structures, keeping the score in the mid-range.

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