Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-23

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 5.0)

The given line graph provides the information about the number of jobs in Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture, and Healthcare sectors of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, it is clear from the graph the number of employment in the retail and agriculture sector shows the upward trend whereas in the manufacturing sector it increases at the first few years after that it fell down throughout the period. In addition, the number of jobs in the healthcare sector slowly decline over the period.

In 1960, the manufacturing sector holds the highest number of jobs in the first years until to the 1980 it

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which severely impacts the ability to fully address the task. Because the essay is incomplete and cuts off mid-sentence, it fails to provide a comprehensive overview or report the main features of the data. While the introduction and the start of the overview are present, the lack of a completed body paragraph means the information is not adequately selected or compared. To improve, you must ensure you complete the analysis of all four sectors and provide a full summary that meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is too short to demonstrate a full range of cohesive devices or logical progression. While there is a basic attempt at paragraphing and the use of linking words like 'Overall' and 'In addition', the abrupt ending prevents a coherent flow of ideas. The referencing is generally clear in the opening, but the lack of development makes it difficult to assess the overall structure effectively. To improve, focus on planning your response to ensure you have enough content to support a logical flow across at least three to four paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is functional but limited. You successfully use terms like 'upward trend' and 'sectors of the economy', which are appropriate for this task. However, there are some inaccuracies, such as 'number of employment' (should be 'employment levels' or 'number of jobs') and 'at the first few years' (should be 'in the first few years'). The range is insufficient to demonstrate flexibility due to the incomplete nature of the text. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise reporting verbs and nouns will help improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are noticeable errors. For example, 'it increases at the first few years after that it fell down' contains tense inconsistencies (mixing present and past) and awkward phrasing. The sentence structure is also incomplete at the end of the text. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the clarity of the report. Focus on maintaining consistent verb tenses when describing historical data and ensuring your sentences are complete.

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

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