Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-16

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 jobs measured in millions in four sectors of the economy in the US, between 1960 to 2020.

Overall, the manufacturing and agriculture sectors showed negative trend and healthcare and retail sector showed positive trend. It is noticed that agriculture sector in between 1980 to 2000 showed same figure and after 2000 to 2020 figure goes down. The one prominent sector healthcare witnessed upward trend among other sectors. The manufacturing sector created 15 million to 20 million jobs from 1960 to 1980, after that figure continued to follow downward trend.

Both healthcare and retail sectors stood at same at approximately to 16 million. The retail sector from 1960 to 2000 reached figure from 6 million to 15 million after 2000 to 2020 figure reached 16 million which is the highest number of jobs among other sectors excluding healthcare. The agriculture sector produced lowest number of jobs among remaining sectors.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all four sectors and identifies the main trends. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial and lacks precision in data reporting. For instance, stating the manufacturing sector created '15 million to 20 million jobs' is vague, and the description of the agriculture sector's plateau between 1980 and 2000 is not fully supported by the visual data. While the overview identifies the general trends, the lack of specific data points and comparative analysis prevents a higher score. The response would benefit from more careful selection of key figures to illustrate the trends mentioned.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into three paragraphs, which is appropriate for a short report. There is a logical progression from the overview to specific details. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'after that figure' and 'the retail sector from 1960 to 2000' are used in a way that feels slightly disjointed. The transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is clear, but the internal flow within the paragraphs could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the data points more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. The student relies on basic terms such as 'showed', 'figure', and 'number of jobs'. There are some inaccuracies in collocation, such as 'showed negative trend' (should be 'a negative trend') and 'stood at same at approximately to 16 million'. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and the student does not demonstrate the ability to use less common lexical items or sophisticated phrasing to describe trends effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the manufacturing and agriculture sectors', 'the healthcare and retail sector') and prepositions ('at same at approximately to'). There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and tense consistency, such as 'figure goes down' instead of 'the figure went down'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to suggest a lack of control over complex structures, keeping the score in the 5.5–6.0 range.

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.