Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-11

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 given line graph illustrates how much role of four different sectors(Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare) in the United States from 1960 to 2020. The number of jobs in various sector is represented in Millions.

Overall, it can be clearly seen that the main role in economy was Manufacturing related jobs while Agriculture regarding jobs was stood with the lowest role in 1980. Furthermore, Manufacturing and Retail related jobs has relatively similar role in 2000.

The manufacturing was presented with exact 15 millions job in 1960 while it increased by 20 millions jobs in next 20 year while it decreased gradually with almost 13 millions jobs over the period. Furthermore, Healthcare related jobs were represented with almost 3 millions jobs whereas, it surpassing the Manufacturing related jobs and reached around 15.5 millions jobs.

In addition with, Retail and Agriculture were began with exact same amount by almost 5.5 millions jobs. In contrast, the Retail related jobs were climbed up and surpassing Manufacturing related jobs and reached with exact similar amount of Healthcare. Moreover, Agriculture related jobs were declined gradually and reached the least amount which is around 3 millions jobs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all four sectors and identifies the main trends, such as the growth of healthcare and the decline of agriculture. However, the analysis is hampered by significant inaccuracies in data interpretation. For example, the claim that manufacturing and retail had 'relatively similar' roles in 2000 is not supported by the visual data, and the description of the manufacturing trend is confusing and mathematically inconsistent. While the overview is present, it lacks precision. To improve, ensure that the data points cited are accurate and that the comparison between sectors is clearly supported by the graph, rather than making vague or incorrect statements about the figures.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'In addition with' are grammatically incorrect and disrupt the flow. Furthermore, the logical progression within paragraphs is sometimes weak; for instance, the transition between the manufacturing data and the healthcare data in the third paragraph is abrupt. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider range of linking words more naturally and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus that connects logically to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for a higher score. There is a reliance on repetitive phrasing, such as 'related jobs' and 'amount'. Some word choices are awkward or incorrect, such as 'how much role of' and 'Agriculture regarding jobs was stood'. The use of 'climbed up' and 'surpassing' shows an attempt to use descriptive verbs, but the overall range is limited. To improve, focus on using more precise terminology for describing trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'peaked', or 'remained stable', and avoid repetitive structures.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('Agriculture regarding jobs was stood'), incorrect preposition usage ('in next 20 year'), and awkward sentence construction ('The manufacturing was presented with exact 15 millions job'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from being considered 'error-free' in the majority of sentences. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for articles and pluralisation would significantly improve the accuracy of the writing.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.