Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-30

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 regarding the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US over the time period from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, manufacturing sector saw a significant rise in jobs at start and end in decline. Agriculture sector saw decline from start to end. Retail and healthcare employments were in parallel to each other.

There were 15 millions of jobs at manufacturing department in 1960 and rose in 1980 to 20million but saw a dramatic drop from 2000 to 2020. The retail sector jobs was on second position started from 5 million in 1960 and steadily rose to 15 million and in 2020 slightly increased.

Jobs in healthcare department in 1960 were at their lowest but saw a surge in 1980 to 2000 and significantly rise in 2020 and intersect with retail. Agriculture jobs started with 6 million jobs in 1960 while from the 1980 to 2020 time period the jobs declined steadily.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all four sectors and identifies key trends such as the rise in healthcare and the decline in agriculture. However, the overview is slightly underdeveloped and lacks precision. For instance, stating that manufacturing saw a 'significant rise' and 'decline' is accurate, but the description of the retail and healthcare sectors as 'parallel' is imprecise, as they show distinct growth trajectories. The report would benefit from more specific data points to support the trends described, particularly regarding the intersection of the lines. While the main features are highlighted, the analysis lacks the depth required for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific sectors. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. Phrases like 'in 1960', 'in 1980', and 'in 2020' are used frequently to start sentences, which makes the flow feel a bit stilted. There is a lack of varied linking words to connect ideas between sentences and paragraphs. While the progression of ideas is generally clear, the reliance on simple sentence structures limits the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. Terms like 'department' are used incorrectly to refer to economic sectors, and 'employments' is used where 'employment' or 'jobs' would be more appropriate. There is some attempt to use descriptive language, such as 'surge' and 'dramatic drop', which is positive. However, the range of vocabulary is limited, and the student relies on basic phrasing to describe trends. To improve, the student should incorporate more sophisticated collocations related to data reporting and economic trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles (e.g., 'manufacturing sector', 'Agriculture sector'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'significantly rise' instead of 'significant rise'), and subject-verb agreement errors (e.g., 'retail sector jobs was'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. The student needs to focus on basic sentence construction and article usage to improve accuracy and demonstrate better control over complex structures.

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