Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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)

This graph shows the information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US which indicate the difference between the number of jobs in 1960 and 2020.

In the graph we saw four sectors of jobs in US from 1960 to 2020.In 1960 the jobs economy for Healthcare is about 2.5 which can blow up every year and at the time of 2020 it reached to 15.As the economy of jobs of retail is almost equal to the Healthcare as it start from point 6 and in 2020 it also reached to point 15 or near to 15.These two jobs are those whom become up day by day.

But the economy of Agriculture department and Manufacturing comes down in 2020 as from the rate of 1960.As the Agriculture jobs start from point 6 in 1960 and stop at point 2.5 in 2020.The department of Manufacturing has much more jobs than other 3.It starts from 15 in 1960 and in 1980 it reached to point 20 which is the highest point. Then it comes down and in 2020 it hits the point 13 which is less than to Healthcare and Retail department.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the graph, identifying the trends for the four sectors. However, the analysis is somewhat superficial. For instance, the description of the data points is often imprecise (e.g., 'about 2.5', 'point 6'), and the comparison between sectors lacks depth. The overview is missing, which is a key requirement for Task 1 to achieve a higher band. While the trends are generally identified, the lack of a clear summary of the overall patterns and the reliance on listing individual data points rather than synthesising information limits the score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into paragraphs, but the logical progression is weak. The use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'As' to start sentences. Referencing is sometimes unclear, for example, 'These two jobs are those whom become up day by day' is awkward and lacks clear connection to the previous sentence. Paragraphing is present but the internal structure of the paragraphs lacks a clear flow, making the transition between the different sectors feel disjointed rather than a cohesive comparison.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and often imprecise. Phrases like 'blow up', 'come down', and 'jobs economy' are not appropriate for an academic report. There is a lack of variety in reporting verbs and nouns related to data trends. The student struggles with collocations, such as 'Agriculture department' instead of 'agricultural sector'. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of academic register and the repetitive use of basic vocabulary prevent the response from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement ('the economy of jobs of retail is almost equal'), article usage, and awkward phrasing ('at the time of 2020'). Complex structures are attempted but are often inaccurate or poorly constructed, such as 'These two jobs are those whom become up day by day'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after periods. These errors occasionally cause the reader to pause, though the overall message remains understandable.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.