Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-01
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 presents the total number of employment opportunities in the US in four areas of the economy during the years 1960 and 2020.
Overall, the manufacturing sector has seen a going-down after an increasing trend. The retail and agricultural sector has created many jobs for the people over the course of years. While the healthcare sector has been falling down, cutting down jobs from the US people.
Starting with the manufacturing sector, it had 15 million jobs in 1960, peaking to around 20 million in 1980; it fell down, decreasing just over 10 million jobs till 2020. The healthcare sector graph led to a decreasing trend, as it had around 5 million jobs in the beginning of 1960, and it fell steadily, maintaining nearly 3 million employement for people at the end of 2020.
Talking about the retail and the agricultural sector, they had risen to prominence. The area of retail had approximately 5 million jobs in 1960. It increased swiftly and ended at around 15 million jobs in 2020, making it one of the largest economy generators in the US. Similarly, the agricultural sector also dominated the US expenditures. It had the lowest jobs in 1960, but it emerged quickly and gave people around 15 million jobs in the 2020s.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all four sectors and identifies key trends such as the rise of retail and the decline of manufacturing. However, there are significant inaccuracies in the data interpretation. For instance, the text claims the healthcare sector has been 'falling down' and 'cutting down jobs,' whereas the graph actually shows a steady upward trend. Additionally, the claim that the agricultural sector 'dominated the US expenditures' is irrelevant to the task, which asks for information about the number of jobs. While the main features are selected, the misinterpretation of the data significantly impacts the accuracy of the report.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Starting with,' 'Similarly,' and 'Talking about,' though some transitions feel slightly mechanical or informal. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the lack of precision in the data presentation occasionally disrupts the flow of information. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sectors, which helps the reader follow the structure of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision. There is a reliance on repetitive and informal phrasing, such as 'going-down,' 'falling down,' and 'cutting down jobs.' Some word choices are inaccurate or awkward, such as 'economy generators' and 'dominated the US expenditures.' While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the general meaning, it lacks the sophistication and precise collocation required for higher band scores. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lack of variety limits the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'maintaining nearly 3 million employement' (spelling/noun usage) and 'in the beginning of 1960' (preposition error). The phrase 'peaking to around 20 million' is slightly awkward. While the errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the general message, they occur frequently enough to indicate a lack of full control over complex structures. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the overall grammatical accuracy is inconsistent.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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