Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-12
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 chart below illustrate the amount of jobs in US in the four sectors of the economy between year [redacted phone].
Overall, the manufacturing and agricultural sectors has been the most significant sectors in terms of the peak and the lowest sectors.
Between the year [redacted phone], the manufacturing sector provided about 15- 20 million jobs in the US economy followed by the retail sector which gave about 5-10 million jobs, and has been on the increase ever till 2000.
From [redacted phone], the agricultural sector did not provide much jobs only about 5 million as at the year 1960, and even went as low as 0 before 2000.
The remaining sector such as Healthcare gradually gave jobs between [redacted phone] and that has been on
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.5
The response attempts to summarise the graph comparing four economic sectors in the US, but it suffers from significant shortcomings. First and foremost, the text fails to meet the minimum length requirement, containing only 122 words compared to the required 150 words, which negatively impacts Task Achievement. Furthermore, the temporal scope is misread or restricted, referencing years up to 2000 rather than 2020 as shown on the chart. While there is an attempt to report main features, such as mentioning the manufacturing and agricultural sectors, the data cited contains inaccuracies (e.g., agriculture going 'as low as 0'), and the response cuts off abruptly at the end, leaving key information out. Overall, the task is only partially addressed.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response exhibits basic organizational flaws. Although there is an introductory attempt and some use of transitional phrases like 'Between the year 1960-1980' and 'Overall', the progression of ideas lacks clear overall structure and the text terminates mid-sentence ('and that has been on'). Paragraphing is poorly handled, as the response is essentially a single fragmented block of text masquerading as multiple short lines. Cohesive devices are basic and repetitive, and referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow a logical development of information throughout the whole report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The lexical resource displayed is limited and repetitive. The student uses basic vocabulary such as 'jobs', 'sectors', 'economy', 'amount', and 'increase'. There are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'amount of jobs' instead of 'number of jobs', and 'gave jobs' instead of 'provided employment' or 'created jobs'. Furthermore, the vocabulary is insufficient to discuss trends with precision, and some expressions feel unnatural. However, the meaning is mostly clear despite the restricted range of terms used.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The grammatical range is limited, consisting primarily of simple sentences and a few basic attempts at complex structures. There are several grammatical errors and awkward formulations, such as 'The chart below illustrate' (subject-verb agreement error), 'did not provide much jobs' (quantifier error), and 'The remaining sector such as Healthcare gradually gave jobs' (incomplete sentence structure). Punctuation is also faulty in places, such as missing hyphens or incorrect date ranges. These frequent errors occasionally cause minor difficulty, but they do not completely obscure the intended meaning.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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