Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-13

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 linear graph illustrates the information about the proportion of the jobs in various sectors and its economy in the us between 1960 and 2020

Overall, the retail and healthcare was shown increment trend whereas the manufacturing and

agriculture had downward trend.

In the manufacturing sector had highest fraction in 1960 a.d and rose slightly and reached 20 millions in the year 1980, afterwards its started to decline steadily and reached between 15 to 10 million in the year 2020.Similarly in retail had 5 million work in the first year, then begin to rose steadily till 2000 and reached slightly below 15 million,afterwards it showed slow upward went to above 15 million in 2020.

In the agriculture had above 5 in the first year then showed steadily decreased and reached between 5 to 0, afterwards it became constant though 2000 and slowly decrease and reached near 0 in year 2020.In addition, healthcare had between 5 to 0

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers the main features of the graph, identifying the trends for the four sectors. However, the analysis is incomplete; the healthcare sector is mentioned but not described, and the data points for agriculture are vague. The overview is present but lacks precision. To improve, ensure all data categories are fully described and use more accurate terminology for trends (e.g., 'upward trend' instead of 'increment trend'). The report would benefit from a more thorough comparison of the sectors rather than just listing them individually.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate, such as the repetitive use of 'afterwards' and 'then'. The transition between sentences is sometimes abrupt, and the referencing is occasionally unclear. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect ideas more fluidly, and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, logical progression of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'increment trend' instead of 'upward trend' and 'upward went' instead of 'upward trend'. Some phrases are repetitive, and the use of 'a.d' is inappropriate for this context. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations related to data description, such as 'fluctuated', 'peaked', or 'remained stable', and avoid repeating the same basic verbs.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles ('the' manufacturing sector), incorrect verb forms ('begin to rose'), and punctuation errors. Subject-verb agreement is also inconsistent. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring correct tense usage and consistent subject-verb agreement throughout the report.

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

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