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 bar graph shows the information about the number of jobs in four different fields of the economy in the US during 1960 to 2020.

Among, all the agriculture sector had a lowest jobs in the economy of US in following years.

It is noticeable that the manufacturing sector had a significant jobs in economy of the US in 1960 with 15 millon ,it increases to 20 millions in

1980. However in following year it shows down trend and get the position with 17 millions and 13 millions respectively.

Similarly, Healthcare sector had a 5 millions jobs in 1960 after that it remain same during 1980 to 2020 at almost 3 millions jobs.

During this time in retail and agriculture fields had a 5 millions and 3 millions jobs, then there is a sharp uptrend show during 1960 to 2020 and in last year they share the same position with 16 millions jobs .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarize the data but fails to provide a clear overview of the main trends. While it identifies the four sectors, the description of the data is inaccurate and confusing. For example, the statement that the healthcare sector remained at '3 millions' from 1980 to 2020 contradicts the visual evidence of a clear upward trend. Furthermore, the grouping of retail and agriculture is problematic as the graph shows distinct trajectories for these sectors. The report lacks a coherent summary of the most significant changes, and the data points cited are often imprecise or incorrect, which prevents a full achievement of the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression of ideas is weak. The use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or misused, such as 'Among, all' at the start of the second paragraph, which is grammatically incorrect and confusing. Referencing is also unclear; for instance, the phrase 'in following year' does not clearly link to the specific time periods on the graph. The transition between sentences is frequently disjointed, making it difficult for the reader to follow the comparison of the four sectors over the sixty-year period.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The range of vocabulary is limited and repetitive. There are frequent errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'significant jobs' instead of 'a significant number of jobs' and 'down trend' instead of 'downward trend'. The student struggles to use precise terminology to describe statistical trends, relying on basic phrases like 'show' or 'remain same'. Some errors, such as 'millon' (spelling) and the misuse of 'position' to describe numerical values, indicate a lack of control over academic vocabulary, which occasionally hinders the clarity of the information being presented.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies on simple sentence structures, and attempts at more complex sentences are often marred by grammatical errors. There are frequent issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'agriculture sector had a lowest jobs' and 'it show down trend'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after commas and incorrect capitalization. Articles are frequently omitted or misused (e.g., 'in economy of US'). While the meaning is generally discernible, the high frequency of basic grammatical errors and the lack of complex structures limit the score to the 5.0 band.

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