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 chart illustrates the number of jobs in four divisions of the economy in the US, between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, the two sectors retail and healthcare showed dramatic growth over the period. Whereas, manufacturing and agriculture sectors had a drastic decline over time.

In 1960 healthcare sector had approximately 2 million jobs only compared to the retail sector which had almost 6 million jobs in 1960. However, in 2020 both stood at the same position in chart with approximately 16 million jobs in each sector.

The manufacturing sector of economy showed hike over 2 decades till 1980 but, after 1980 it had a massive decline in the number of jobs it had and stood a bit lower then where it started. On the other hand, agriculture sector alway had fewer jobs and never gained in number of jobs from where it began in 1960 with only 6 million jobs approximately and in 2020 it had only 3 million jobs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all four sectors and identifies the main trends, such as the growth in retail and healthcare and the decline in manufacturing and agriculture. However, the overview is slightly underdeveloped. While it mentions the growth and decline, it lacks a clear comparison of the relative scale of these changes. Additionally, some data points are inaccurate; for instance, the text states agriculture began at 6 million jobs in 1960, whereas the graph shows it starting at approximately 10 million. More precise data selection and a more comprehensive overview would improve the score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'However', 'On the other hand', and 'Whereas', though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the link between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother. The use of referencing is adequate, though the flow between sentences in the final paragraph is somewhat disjointed.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with terms like 'dramatic growth', 'drastic decline', and 'massive decline' used to describe trends. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'stood at the same position in chart' (should be 'on the chart') and 'showed hike' (should be 'showed a hike'). The range is sufficient to convey meaning, but lacks the sophistication or precision required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including missing articles ('the healthcare sector', 'the manufacturing sector'), incorrect prepositions ('lower then' instead of 'lower than'), and awkward phrasing ('agriculture sector alway had'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Greater attention to articles and comparative structures would enhance the accuracy of the writing.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.