Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-27

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 illustrates different job opportunities of four economical sectors in the Unites States over a sixty-year period from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, It is evident that all sectors were lacking job opportunities initially, whereas Manufacturing sector is leading the chart significantly. Retail and Healthcare offered very less opportunities in start but these sectors witnessed a dramatic increase in their vacancies till the end of the period.

Manufacturing sector is leading with almost 15 million jobs in 1960. It rose steeply to 20 million in 1980 and then declined significantly in last forty years. Healthcare In contrast, starts with just over

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 report on all four sectors or provide a comprehensive summary of the main features. While an attempt was made to identify an overall trend, the lack of completion means the task is only partially addressed. To improve, you must ensure you provide a full overview, describe all data points clearly, and meet the minimum word count to allow for a complete analysis of the provided graph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response shows some basic logical organization, such as an introductory sentence and an attempt at an overview. However, the abrupt ending prevents the development of a coherent structure. Cohesive devices are used in a limited way (e.g., 'Overall', 'In contrast'), but the text lacks the necessary flow and paragraphing required for a complete report. Because the text is unfinished, the progression of ideas is interrupted, making it difficult to assess the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, with terms like 'economical sectors', 'witnessed a dramatic increase', and 'declined significantly'. However, there are some inaccuracies, such as 'economical' (should be 'economic') and 'very less opportunities' (should be 'very few opportunities'). The range is limited due to the brevity of the text. To achieve a higher score, you should focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring that word forms are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, such as the opening sentence and the comparison in the second paragraph. There are grammatical errors, such as 'Unites States' (should be 'United States') and 'Manufacturing sector is leading' (should be 'The manufacturing sector led'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the incomplete nature of the final sentence makes it impossible to evaluate the full range of your grammatical control. Focus on consistent article usage and subject-verb agreement to improve accuracy.

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

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