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 depicts the proportion of jobs in US in 4 different sectors over the span of 61 years beginning from 1960.

The first look reveals that jobs in the retail shops stood at nearly 6 million jobs in 1960, which increased gradually over the period of time and accounted a final figure of 16 million jobs, whereas jobs in the healthcare at meagre 2 million jobs in 1960, but sharply rose in the succeeding years and noted a final figure of 16 million jobs in 2020.

The closer look shows that in 1960, jobs in the agriculture sector at nearly 6 million jobs, which declined marginally and recorded a final figure of 1 millions jobs, while the manufacturing sector had highest jobs at 15 million in 1960, that showed fluctuating trend in the succeeding years and accounted a figure of 13 million jobs.

The overall look clears that in the beginning the manufacture sectors dominated in jobs market, while healthcare was the least, however in the end retail and health care were higher and agriculture was the last.

2020

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all four sectors and identifies the main trends over the period. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, relying heavily on listing figures rather than synthesizing the data. For example, the description of the manufacturing sector as having a 'fluctuating trend' is accurate, but the overall comparison between sectors could be more sophisticated. The overview provided in the final paragraph is clear and highlights the key shifts, which is a positive feature. To reach a higher band, you should focus on grouping the data more effectively to highlight significant trends rather than describing each sector in isolation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs for the data, and a summary. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'whereas', 'while', and 'however', though some transitions feel slightly repetitive or mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the internal structure of the body paragraphs could be improved by using more varied linking phrases to connect the trends. Referencing is generally clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, with some attempts at topic-specific language like 'accounted a final figure' and 'fluctuating trend'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'accounted a final figure' (should be 'accounted for') and 'at meagre 2 million' (missing a verb). The use of 'last' to describe the agriculture sector is also slightly imprecise. Expanding your range of collocations and ensuring accurate word forms would help improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as missing verbs ('jobs in the healthcare at meagre 2 million') and incorrect prepositions or articles ('in the manufacture sectors'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the data, they are frequent enough to impact the overall flow. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that every sentence contains a main verb.

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

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