Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The line graph tracks the amount of jobs created in 4 different categories in the US from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, it is evident from the graph that manufacturing industries created maximum employment in 1960 which then decline at the end of period whereas, the employment in retail and agriculture started from low but consistently flourish at the end of the period.

In 1960, manufacturing industries employed 15 million people followed by retail and healthcare sector with almost 6 millions employer.

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. While you have identified some main features, such as the decline in manufacturing and the growth in retail and agriculture, the analysis is incomplete. You have not covered the entire period up to 2020, nor have you provided sufficient data points or comparisons to meet the requirements of an Academic Task 1 response. To improve, you must ensure all parts of the prompt are addressed and the minimum length is met to allow for a full development of the data.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is too short to demonstrate a full range of cohesive devices or effective paragraphing. While there is a basic attempt at an introduction and an overview, the lack of a body paragraph structure makes it difficult to assess your ability to organize information logically. The transition between the overview and the specific data is abrupt. To improve, focus on grouping related data into distinct paragraphs and using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'in contrast', 'subsequently', 'meanwhile') to guide the reader through the trends.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally appropriate for the task, such as 'tracks', 'categories', and 'consistently'. However, there are some inaccuracies, such as using 'employer' when you mean 'employees' or 'jobs'. The range of vocabulary is limited due to the brevity of the text. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise terminology for describing trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'peaked', or 'remained stable', and ensure that nouns and verbs are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors that hinder clarity. For example, 'manufacturing industries created maximum employment... which then decline' should be 'declined' (past tense consistency). Additionally, '6 millions employer' is incorrect; it should be '6 million employees'. The sentence structures are relatively simple, and the lack of length prevents the demonstration of a wider range of complex grammatical structures. Focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage when describing historical data.

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

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