Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The line graph illustrates the data on the number of employments, measured in millions in four sectors of the economy in the US namely, manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare over the period from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, It is clear that manufacturing sector remained the most popular in past, showing a gradual fall. In contrast, employments in retail and healthcare sector experienced the opposite trend over the period.

At the beginning, In 1960, jobs in manufacturing sector was stood at 15 million, this figure rose to 20 million before steadily declined to 12.5 million in 2020. Meanwhile, jobs in retail sector recorded just about 6 million in 1960, while, agriculture sector was the lowest at approximately 1 million, then, both sectors significantly rose to 16 million by overtaking the manufacturing by the end of the period.

The figure for healthcare sector followed the downward trend starting at 6 million jobs which continuously declined to 1 million in the recent year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the graph, but there are significant inaccuracies in the data reporting. For instance, you state that the healthcare sector declined to 1 million, whereas the graph indicates it grew significantly. Additionally, you claim the retail and agriculture sectors both rose to 16 million, which misrepresents the individual trends shown. While you identify the main trends, the factual errors regarding the data points hinder the accuracy of the summary. To improve, ensure you carefully cross-reference your written figures with the visual data provided to avoid misinterpretation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or slightly awkward, such as the repetitive use of 'In 1960' or 'Meanwhile'. The transition between ideas is generally clear, but the logical flow is occasionally disrupted by the factual inaccuracies mentioned in the task achievement section. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the specific details, which helps the reader follow the structure of your report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'gradual fall', and 'opposite trend'. However, there are some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'number of employments' (employment is usually uncountable in this context) and 'in the recent year' (which is imprecise). You attempt to use some topic-specific vocabulary, but the range is somewhat limited. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'manufacturing sector was stood at' (incorrect passive voice), 'before steadily declined' (should be 'declining'), and 'jobs in manufacturing sector was' (subject-verb agreement error). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of verb tenses when describing past trends will significantly improve your accuracy.

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.