Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-06

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 illustrates number of jobs in different sectors such as manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, both retail and healthcare was increased in 2020, while other shows decline over the period.

Firstly, manufacturing has 15 million jobs in 1960, there was a rise of 5 million twenty years later, and a fall can be observed in 2020 and it was recorded as 13 million. Initially, retail and agriculture sectors both begins from 6 million, while a gradual raise in retail and in 2000 it was 15 million and a minimal increase of 16 million were observed.

In contrast, agriculture sector fluctuates and approximately 4 million in 1980, while over time it was below 3 million in 2020. At the end, healthcare starts from 2 million and it reach to 5 million in 1980 and a great upward trajectory shown in 2020 of around 16 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all four sectors and identifies the main trends. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; for instance, the claim that 'other shows decline' is imprecise as the trends are more nuanced. The data reporting is generally clear, but there are some inaccuracies in the figures cited (e.g., the description of the retail sector's growth). To improve, ensure that the overview captures the most significant trends—such as the dramatic rise in healthcare—more precisely, and double-check the data points to ensure they align accurately with the graph provided.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, moving from an introduction to an overview and then into specific details. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Firstly', 'In contrast', and 'At the end', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'other shows decline', which lacks a specific antecedent. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to the correct subjects would enhance the flow and logical progression of the essay.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe trends using terms like 'upward trajectory', 'fluctuates', and 'gradual raise'. However, there are some word-choice errors, such as 'raise' instead of 'rise' and 'reach to' instead of 'reached'. The range is sufficient to convey the main points, but it lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band. To improve, focus on using more accurate collocations and ensuring that word forms (nouns vs. verbs) are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'both retail and healthcare was increased', 'other shows decline') and tense usage (e.g., 'both begins from', 'it reach to'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency. To reach a higher band, focus on consistent tense usage when describing historical data and ensure that subjects and verbs agree in number.

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

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