Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-04

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 information regarding the number of employee levels in four different sectors - Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare of the US economy in six decades.

Overall, the reatail and healthcare jobs were increased dramatically, on the other hand manufacturing and agriculture showed in decreasing process.

Starting with the increased first, as the proportion of healthcare sector jobs were at 2 million in 1960 which were rising upto 5 million in 1980 and drastically increased to about 16 million in 2020. Moreover, the jobs of retail department were at 6 million in 1960 which were steadily inclined upto 10 times in the given period of time.

Furthermore, the manufacturing sector was at the peak in starting years about at 15 million and grown upto 20 million in 1980, after that it went declined and reached at 13 million in 2020, While the agriculture showed in inward t

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response provides a clear overview of the trends, identifying the growth in healthcare and retail alongside the decline in manufacturing and agriculture. However, the response is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence ('inward t'). This failure to finish the description of the final sector significantly impacts the task completion. While the main features are selected, the lack of a conclusion and the unfinished nature of the data reporting mean that the task is only partially addressed. To improve, ensure all data points are fully described and the response is brought to a logical conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay uses basic cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Starting with', and 'Furthermore' to organize the information. Paragraphing is attempted, but the abrupt ending disrupts the logical flow of the text. The progression of ideas is generally clear in the initial sections, but the lack of completion at the end makes the overall structure feel unfinished. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph is fully developed and that the transition between ideas is smooth and complete, avoiding abrupt cut-offs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'proportion', 'steadily inclined', and 'manufacturing sector'. However, there are several errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'reatail', 'employee levels' (instead of employment levels), and 'inward t'. These errors, while not always impeding communication, show a lack of precision. To improve, focus on using more accurate collocations and proofreading for spelling errors to ensure a more professional tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'the proportion of healthcare sector jobs were at 2 million' (subject-verb agreement), 'were rising upto' (tense inconsistency), and 'it went declined' (incorrect verb form). These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent verb tenses when describing trends over time. The unfinished sentence also leaves the grammatical structure incomplete.

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

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