Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The chart illustrates the vacancies of different sector of economy in the US in the time period of 1960 to 2020.
Overall, the diagram shows the number of jobs from 1960 to 2020 in the economy department of US. Manufacturing jobs are in demand while the agriculture department has the lowest numbers of job in the whole tenure.
In 1960, healthcare starts with less then 5 million jobs which gradually increases hit 5 million posts in 1980. While retail branch opens with more then 5 million jobs which increase with time. Both healthcare and retail sections meets with more then 15 million vacancies in 2020.
Furthermore, number of open posts are almost 15 millions in 1960, which hits 20 millions in 1980 but then sees a sudden fall in the upcoming years to less 15 million till 2020. But on the other hand agriculture opening also face decline, starts with more then 5 million then decrease with time till 2020 to almost 2 millions.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the four economic sectors. The overview correctly highlights the overarching trends, such as manufacturing remaining high and agriculture having the lowest numbers. Key data points are selected and reported, for instance, noting that healthcare and retail sections reached over 15 million vacancies in 2020. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting specific figures and terminology, such as referring to job numbers as 'vacancies' and 'posts' rather than employment numbers, and minor imprecision with dates and values (e.g., 'less then 5 million'). Nevertheless, the main trends are adequately identified, supporting a solid Band 6.0 performance for Task Achievement.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The report displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at paragraphing, separating the introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Logical progression is established through introductory phrases like 'In 1960' and 'Furthermore'. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or faulty, and referencing is not always clear (e.g., starting sentences abruptly with 'Furthermore, number of open posts...'). Paragraphing could be further refined to group related trends more effectively. While the structure is generally clear, the mechanical transitions and occasional tracking issues limit the score to a Band 5.5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common items related to economic sectors, such as 'healthcare', 'retail', 'manufacturing', and 'agriculture'. However, there are noticeable limitations and recurring errors in word choice and collocation, such as using 'vacancies' and 'posts' instead of 'jobs' or 'employment'. Additionally, spelling and morphological errors occur, such as 'then' instead of 'than' and 'meets' instead of 'met'. While the meaning is generally clear, the lexical control is inconsistent, placing this response at Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some attempt at variety with structures like 'While retail branch opens with more then 5 million jobs which increase with time.' However, grammatical accuracy is weak, featuring frequent errors such as tense inconsistency ('starts', 'increases', 'hit'), missing articles ('number of open posts'), and incorrect prepositions or conjunctions ('less then', 'more then', 'meets with'). These errors persist throughout the text, although they rarely completely impede communication. This corresponds to a Band 5.0 for Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
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.