Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-26

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 displays the jobs in four different sectors in the US between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, there is an increase in job for two sectors which include Healthcare and Retail. However, the job market for the Manufacturing sector increases till 1980 reaching a number of 20 million in jobs but then there is a decrease in the trend from 1980 to 2020 reaching a number of approximately 13 million.

As far as the Agriculture sector is concerned it can be observed that there is an overall trend of less jobs from 1960 to 2020 reaching its minimum number of jobs to approximately 2.5 million. The two growing sectors reach the maximum number of jobs in 2020 which is approximately 16 million.

In general it can be seen that overall the number of jobs available for the people of US have been the same in 2020 compared to that in 1960. However, the only change was that the sectors which were providing jobs were varying over the time span of 40 years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the graph, identifying trends for all four sectors. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, the description of the two growing sectors is vague, grouping them together without specifying which sectors they are or providing precise data points for their starting values. The summary in the final paragraph is also slightly inaccurate, as it suggests the total number of jobs remained the same, which is a misinterpretation of the visual data. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific data comparisons and ensure your summary accurately reflects the overall trends shown in the graph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs for trends, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'As far as... is concerned', which help guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and the referencing of the 'two growing sectors' is slightly ambiguous because you did not explicitly name them earlier in the text. Improving the transition between ideas and ensuring clear subject references would enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'trend', 'sectors', and 'fluctuating'. However, there are some repetitive phrases and minor inaccuracies, such as 'increase in job' (should be 'increase in jobs') and 'less jobs' (should be 'fewer jobs'). The vocabulary is functional but lacks the sophistication or precision required for higher bands. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' and ensure correct collocations when discussing numerical data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'reaching a number of 20 million in jobs' (wordy/awkward) and 'the number of jobs available for the people of US' (missing article 'the'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. You should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, as well as refining your sentence structure to be more concise and grammatically precise.

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

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