Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-15

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 line graph compares number of occupation of four sectors in United states economy in- Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare between 1060 and 2020. The data presented in millions.

Overall, it is clearly seen from the data that Retail and Agriculture had shown steady growth over the period. Whereas, healthcare were declined in 1990 and after that it showed stability. In manufacturing, it was at pick in 1990 but after that the graph fall.

In terms of Manufacturing, it illustrates steady growth till 1990, where the number of jobs in manufacturing was at pick at 20 million, but it declined over the period and reached at 12 million in 2020. In contrast, Retail had steady growth till 2000 at 14 millions and after that it went stable.

Agriculture had the most dramatic growth with starting at just 2 millions to went for 15 million in 2020, at above all the other sectors. Whereas, healthcare have the lowest number jobs over period with starting at 6 millions to ending with just 2 millions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all four sectors and identifies key trends, such as the peak in manufacturing and the growth in agriculture. However, the accuracy of the data reporting is inconsistent. For instance, you state that healthcare declined in 1990 and then showed stability, whereas the graph shows a steady decline throughout the period. Additionally, your description of the trends is sometimes contradictory or factually incorrect based on the provided visual data. To reach a higher band, ensure that your summary of the main features is precisely aligned with the data points shown in the graph, avoiding generalizations that misrepresent the actual figures.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. There is a clear progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as the use of 'Whereas' at the start of sentences where it does not effectively link to the preceding thought. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the transition between ideas could be smoother. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words will help the flow of your writing and improve the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'steady growth', 'dramatic growth', and 'sectors'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'at pick' instead of 'at its peak' and 'the graph fall' instead of 'the graph fell'. There are also minor errors in pluralization, such as '14 millions'. To improve, focus on using collocations correctly and refining your control over word forms. Expanding your range to include more precise descriptive language would also be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Common issues include incorrect verb tenses (e.g., 'healthcare were declined'), subject-verb agreement errors, and missing articles. Punctuation is generally functional, but the frequency of grammatical slips occasionally distracts the reader. To achieve a higher score, you should focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, particularly with verb forms and article usage, and aim to increase the number of error-free sentences in your writing.

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