Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 chart illustrates the number of employments in four different economic sectors; Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare in the Unite States from 1960 and 2020.

Overall, it is clear that Manufacturing recorded the highest figures in first twenty years before declining steadily over the end of the period, whereas Agriculture represented the downward trends among all other employers. Additionally, Healthcare increased considerably over the period of time.

Looking first at Manufacturing and Agriculture, Manufacturing stood at 15 million job in 1960, compared 5 million for Agriculture. The figure for Manufacturing rose up steadily, standing at 20 million in 1980 and then fell dramatically to 13 million by 2020. By Contrast, Agriculture declined sharply over the whole period of time to 2 million by 2020.

Healthcare and Retail surged significantly without any interruption, standing at just over 15 million respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the score. While you have identified the main trends and provided some data points, the under-length nature of the response means that the information is not fully developed. For example, the final sentence is too brief and lacks the necessary detail to fully describe the trends for Healthcare and Retail. To improve, ensure you provide a more comprehensive overview and include more specific data points for all categories to meet the length requirement and provide a more thorough summary of the graph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Additionally', and 'By Contrast' to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical, and the paragraphing is slightly unbalanced due to the brevity of the final section. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, balanced focus. The transition between the overview and the body paragraphs is generally clear, but the overall flow could be smoother with more sophisticated signposting.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'recorded', 'declining steadily', and 'surged significantly'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'number of employments' (should be 'number of jobs' or 'employment levels') and 'represented the downward trends' (which is slightly unnatural). You also have a minor error in the introduction ('Unite States'). To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure you proofread for small spelling errors. Expanding your range of descriptive verbs and adverbs will also help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'in first twenty years' (missing 'the'), 'compared 5 million' (should be 'compared to 5 million'), and 'rose up steadily' (redundant 'up'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are minor issues with preposition usage and article omission. To improve, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and refining your use of prepositions. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences will help you move into the 7.0 band range.

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

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