Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-11

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 graph illustrates information about jobs in numbers among four sectors of economy in the United States between the year 1960 and 2020.

Overall, manufacturing sector is constantly leading the chart with the highest number of jobs over the years; while, jobs in agriculture sector continues to be the lowest. Furthermore, jobs in retail and healthcare seems to grow equally.

In the year 1960, manufacturing jobs were the highest the with 15 million jobs where as healthcare jobs standing just above 5 million. A significant hike to 20 million jobs for manufacturing jobs can be observed in the year 1980 and at the same period agriculture jobs took a major decline which is below 5 million jobs and it followed same path of falling down till the year 2020, it reached near 1 million jobs which is lowest among all the sectors.

Both healthcare and retail are at the same point of 15 million in the year 2020, contrast to where they started in the year 1960 healthcare was lowest which was round 2 million where as retail was above 5 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the graph, including the trends for each sector. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with data from the graph. However, there are some inaccuracies in your data reporting. For instance, you state that manufacturing was the highest in 1960 at 15 million, but the graph shows it closer to 20 million. Additionally, you mention that healthcare and retail were at the same point in 2020, but the graph indicates they are distinct. To improve, ensure you read the axes and data points more precisely to avoid factual errors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'In the year 1960', and 'In contrast'. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'while, jobs in agriculture sector continues'. The use of referencing is sometimes unclear, and the transition between ideas could be smoother. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider range of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your meaning, using terms like 'sectors', 'economy', 'decline', and 'hike'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'manufacturing sector is constantly leading the chart' (should be 'leading the graph') and 'round 2 million' (should be 'around'). The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but lacks the precision and variety required for higher bands. Try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and ensure collocations are accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as missing articles ('in agriculture sector'), subject-verb agreement issues ('jobs... continues'), and punctuation errors ('while, jobs'). While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, pay closer attention to basic grammar rules, particularly article usage and subject-verb agreement, and proofread your work to catch these slips.

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

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