Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-05

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 shows the amount of jobs in four industries of the economy in US, over the period of time from [redacted phone].

Overall, Healthcare and retail sectors received the highest number of increase, However, Manufacturing had a significant growth but then it dropped, and Agriculture also received a loss and kept decreasing all over the period of time.

Looking at the details, Healthcare rises from 2 million jobs in 1980 to 15 million jobs till 2020 as

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which severely impacts the task achievement score. Because the essay is incomplete and cuts off mid-sentence, it fails to provide a full overview or a detailed report of the data. While the introduction and the start of the overview attempt to identify main trends, the lack of completion means the task is only partially addressed. To improve, you must ensure you provide a full summary that covers all four sectors and includes sufficient data points to support your descriptions, while strictly adhering to the word count requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response shows a basic attempt at paragraphing, with an introduction and an overview. However, because the text is incomplete, the logical progression is interrupted. Cohesive devices such as 'However' and 'Looking at the details' are used, but they are mechanical and the overall structure is not fully developed. To improve, focus on creating a clear, logical flow between your introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Ensure that each paragraph is fully developed before moving to the next, and use a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is somewhat repetitive and limited. Phrases like 'received the highest number of increase' and 'received a loss' are unnatural and imprecise. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey basic meaning, it lacks the range and precision expected for an Academic Task 1 response. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations for describing trends, such as 'experienced a significant increase' or 'suffered a decline'. Avoid using 'received' to describe statistical changes, as it is not appropriate in this context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors, such as 'amount of jobs' (should be 'number of jobs'), 'in US' (missing the article 'the'), and 'all over the period of time' (which is wordy and slightly unnatural). The sentence structures are relatively simple, and the incomplete nature of the response limits the ability to demonstrate a range of complex grammatical structures. To improve, focus on article usage, subject-verb agreement, and using more varied sentence structures to describe trends. Proofreading for basic errors is essential to ensure your writing is clear and accurate.

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

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