Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-14

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 chart illustrates data about US marketplace jobs figure in four different fields from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, healthcare and retail work are in top during the whole period. These two works rate increased rapidly. Moreover agriculture job sector dropped.

To begin with, the ratio of health services was less than 5 million in 1960. In 1980 it rose to million 5 million and after that it increased dramatically, 5 million to more than 15 million in 2020 respectively. Retail had in 2nd position, in 1960 it was almost 6 million and after that it plunged to 10 million in 1980, 15 million in 2000 and in 2020 it increase slightly around 16 million.

The graph also shows that manufacturing was in 3rd, 15 million people were engaged with this work in 1960 and after that it grew to 20 million in 1980, from 1980 to 2020 it decreased from 20 to 13 million continiously. Agriculture occupation were the most unwanted segment from 1960 it was 6 million and fell to 2 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered all four sectors and made relevant comparisons, such as noting the growth in healthcare and the decline in agriculture. However, there are some inaccuracies in your data reporting. For instance, you stated retail 'plunged to 10 million in 1980', but the graph shows it rising. Additionally, the description of manufacturing is slightly confusing regarding the timeline. To improve, ensure that your data points are precisely extracted from the graph and that your comparisons clearly highlight the most significant changes over the period.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'To begin with', and 'The graph also shows', which help the flow of information. However, the progression within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the transition between the retail and manufacturing data. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus to improve the overall logical flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'increased rapidly', 'plunged', and 'decreased'. However, there are some word choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'marketplace jobs figure', 'in top', and 'unwanted segment'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. To improve, try to use more academic collocations and ensure that your terminology is accurate for describing economic data. For example, instead of 'unwanted segment', use 'declining sector'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses, prepositions, and article usage (e.g., 'Retail had in 2nd position', 'agriculture occupation were', 'continiously'). Some sentences are also slightly fragmented or lack proper subject-verb agreement. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy and ensure that your verb tenses are consistent when describing past trends. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help you achieve a higher score.

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