Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-02

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 rendered line graph depicts the information about the number of jobs in four departments of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020. The data is given in numbers.

The number of jobs in manufacturing was 15 million to 14 million throughout the period from 1980 to 2020. While jobs in the road department increased throughout the period from 5 million to 15 million.

Talking about the agriculture sector, it showed various fluctuations during the time period, almost 6 million in the initial year, however it decreased in the last year by 3 million. Furthermore, there are also many changes in the healthcare sector jobs, it started from near about 2 million in the first year and it reached on its peak in 2020 accounted for 15 million.

Having an overview, it is evident that the road department showed an upward trend, whereas the agriculture department showed a downward trend.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the task by identifying the four sectors and describing trends. However, the analysis is superficial and lacks precision. For instance, the description of manufacturing as '15 million to 14 million' is inaccurate based on typical graph data, and the term 'road department' is an inappropriate label for a sector. Key features, such as the intersection points or the relative scale of the sectors, are not highlighted. The overview is present but lacks the necessary detail to fully satisfy the requirements for a higher band, as the data interpretation is somewhat inconsistent and lacks a clear comparative focus.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is mechanical and sometimes awkward, such as 'Talking about the agriculture sector' and 'Having an overview'. The progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed, particularly in the second paragraph where the transition between sectors feels abrupt. While there is an attempt to use linking words, the overall flow is not sufficiently smooth or sophisticated to reach a higher band. Paragraphing is present but the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks logical development.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and occasionally inaccurate. Using 'departments' instead of 'sectors' and 'road department' instead of 'transportation' or 'infrastructure' indicates a lack of precision. Phrases like 'near about' are informal and not suitable for an academic report. The range of vocabulary is narrow, relying on repetitive structures to describe trends (e.g., 'increased', 'decreased', 'showed'). To improve, you should focus on using more precise terminology related to economic sectors and a wider variety of verbs and adverbs to describe data trends accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'it reached on its peak' (incorrect preposition), 'accounted for 15 million' (dangling modifier), and 'the data is given in numbers' (unnecessary sentence). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence construction often lacks the control required for higher bands. While the meaning is usually clear, the frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence structure prevents a higher score.

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

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