Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-28
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 information about vacancies of economy jobs in Manufacturing , Agriculture, Healthcare and Retail sectors in United State over the period from 1960 to 2020.
Overall it is clear that, jobs in Retail and healthcare sectors rose gradually throughout the period. Whereas, economy jobs in Manufacturing and in Agriculture fields gradually declined throughout the given period. Despite all of this, jobs in Manufacturing sectors remained high among all the sectors.
Number of jobs sharply increased from 15 to 20 in 1990 in Manufacturing and after it, vacancies rate gradually declined at 13 in 2020. While the number of jobs in Retail sector rose at 15 millions in 2000 and remained unchanged before 2020.
The Number of vacancies of economy in agriculture declined from 6 to 3 million in 1990 and remained constant until the end of 2000 and after it , its number slightly decreased. While in healthcare sector, its number increased from 6 in 1960 and significantly increased at 15 millions in 2020.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered all four sectors and made relevant comparisons. However, there are some inaccuracies in the data reporting. For instance, you mention that manufacturing jobs 'sharply increased from 15 to 20 in 1990', which is not clearly supported by the graph provided. Additionally, the units (millions) are sometimes omitted or inconsistently applied. To reach a higher band, ensure that the data points cited are precise and that the overview clearly contrasts the growth and decline trends across the entire period rather than just listing individual sector movements.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Whereas', 'Despite all of this', and 'While', which help to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly abrupt. The referencing is generally clear, but the paragraphing could be improved by grouping the declining sectors together and the growing sectors together more effectively to enhance the logical progression of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'vacancies', 'declined', 'remained constant', and 'significantly increased'. However, there are some issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'vacancies of economy jobs' and 'number of vacancies of economy in agriculture', which are slightly unnatural. There are also minor errors in capitalization (e.g., 'United State'). To improve, focus on using more precise terminology related to economic trends and ensure consistent use of plural forms and articles.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include missing articles ('in healthcare sector'), incorrect preposition usage ('declined at 13'), and issues with subject-verb agreement or tense consistency. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency of the writing. Increasing your control over basic grammar and punctuation will help you achieve a higher score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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