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 graphs below show us a representation about the number of jobs in four sectors of the US economy between the years 1960 and 2020.

When we have a look at the graph below, we see that in the year 1960 there were approximately 15 million jobs available for manufacturing however, as the years pass by in the year 1980, we can see that the demand of the jobs available for manufacturing had an increase. However, when we look much deeper into the graph and look at the jobs that were available for the other sectors in the year 1980, we can see that apart from the retail sector every other industry e.g. manufacturing, retail and healthcare had an increase in demand of jobs available. The reasons why this may have happened may be because there was an increase in the US economy showing that more labor was required between the vital years [redacted phone].

However, in the year 2000's apart from the manufacturing industry every single industry had an increase in jobs that were available. For example, in the year 1980, the agriculture had only 5 million jobs available but, by the 2000's the number of jobs that were available had doubled to suddenly to around 10-15 million jobs. This shows that the economy was increasing in the US in the early 2000's.

But, for the manufacturing industry the number of jobs that were available dipped even further down from between 15-20 million jobs to between 10-15 million jobs in the year 2020. This shows that the economy had a negative impact on the manufacturing industry from the year 2000 onwards.

Unlike the manufacturing industry, the US economy had a positive impact on different sectors again. For example, in the year 2000's the agriculture industry had around 15 million jobs that were available however, in the year 2020 this number had increased to between 15-20 million jobs. This showed that the US economy had a positive effect on the retail industry.

Similarly, both the agriculture and health care sectors had also drastically increased the number of jobs that were available. This has probably happened due to the increase in the US economy.

In conclusion, the graph shows that the number of jobs in the four sectors of the economy in the US between the year 1960 and 2020 had an increase in the number of jobs that were available based on the rise in the US economy however, except the manufacturing industry that had a negative impact in correlation to the economy every other sector had experienced tremendous amounts of growth.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to describe the main trends shown in the graph, but struggles significantly with accuracy and data reporting. For instance, the text claims that agriculture had 'only 5 million jobs available' in 1980 and doubled to 10-15 million by the 2000s, which is inaccurate and confused. Furthermore, the response frequently attempts to explain the 'reasons why this may have happened' (e.g., 'an increase in the US economy'), which is inappropriate for an Academic Task 1 summary where personal speculation should be avoided. The overview provided in the conclusion is very vague, stating simply that sectors experienced growth apart from manufacturing. While the student does address the task by mentioning the four sectors, the inaccurate data reporting, lack of clear overall comparisons, and speculative commentary pull the performance down to Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is divided into multiple paragraphs, attempting a structured approach to the overview and body details. However, the logical progression is frequently disrupted by repetitive transitions and clumsy sequencing, such as starting multiple paragraphs with 'However' or 'Unlike the manufacturing industry'. Referencing is also weak and confusing at times, as seen when the text mentions 'the retail sector' and then immediately contradicts itself or mixes up industries (e.g., confusing agriculture with retail in the fifth paragraph). Paragraphing is present, but the internal organization lacks tight cohesion. Cohesive devices are often overused or used inaccurately, resulting in a somewhat mechanical flow. This level of organisation aligns best with a Band 5.0 descriptor.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student demonstrates a limited, repetitive vocabulary throughout the text. Phrases like 'number of jobs that were available', 'increase', and 'US economy' are repeated excessively. There are noticeable attempts at less common vocabulary, but these are often clumsy or inaccurate, such as 'had a negative impact on the manufacturing industry' or repetitive references to 'demand of the jobs'. Word choice and collocations are basic, and there are vocabulary inaccuracies that cause confusion, such as mixing up 'agriculture' and 'retail' in the fifth paragraph. Spelling is generally acceptable, but the overall lexical range and control remain limited, fitting a Band 5.0 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but attempts at complex structures frequently result in grammatical errors, awkward phrasing, and run-on sentences. For example, sentences like 'When we have a look at the graph below, we see that in the year 1960 there were approximately 15 million jobs available for manufacturing however, as the years pass by...' demonstrate poor punctuation, missing conjunctions, and cumbersome phrasing. Frequent errors in tense consistency, prepositions, and clause integration cause some difficulty for the reader. While communication is not entirely obscured, the high frequency of grammatical slips keeps the response at a Band 5.0.

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