Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-31

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 the various jobs available in four sectors of US economy in the year 1960 and 2020.

Overall, the manufacturing sector exhibits a higher job involvement when compared to retail, agriculture and health care sectors.

In the year 1960, manufacturing sector started with 15 million job opportunities and dramatically rose high until 1980.Jobs minimally went down and reached to blow 15 million in 2020.Retail industry started with above 5 million jobs and climbed up to 15 million in 2020.

Agriculture industry lowered the score than the others.It started with above five million job opportunities and drast

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 text is incomplete and cuts off mid-sentence, the overview is underdeveloped and the data reporting is fragmented. The response fails to cover all parts of the task, as it does not provide a complete summary of the trends for all four sectors over the entire period. To improve, you must ensure you complete the analysis for all categories and provide a comprehensive overview that highlights the main trends and significant comparisons, while meeting the minimum word count.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response shows some attempt at logical organization by grouping information by sector. However, the abrupt ending and lack of a concluding paragraph make the overall structure incomplete. Cohesive devices are used sparingly (e.g., 'In the year 1960', 'Overall'), but the flow is hindered by the unfinished nature of the text. To achieve a higher band, ensure that your ideas are fully developed and that you use a wider range of cohesive devices to link your sentences and paragraphs more fluidly, ensuring the response reaches a natural conclusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher levels. Phrases like 'job involvement' and 'lowered the score' are not the most natural or accurate ways to describe economic data. There is also a reliance on basic descriptive verbs. To improve, focus on using more precise terminology related to trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'remained stable', or 'experienced a steady decline', and avoid informal phrasing. Expanding your range of collocations will help you convey information more professionally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors, such as 'US economy' (missing the article 'the'), 'reached to blow' (incorrect preposition and spelling), and 'lowered the score than the others' (incorrect comparative structure). Sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. The punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after periods. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, including correct article usage and prepositions. Additionally, try to incorporate a variety of complex sentence structures to demonstrate better control over your writing.

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

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