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 line graph demonstrates the number of jobs in four different secttors of economy from the year 1960 to 2020.

Overall, there are four different departments including manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare.Most of all, agriculture decreased steadily by the time while healthcare increased gradually by the year 2020.Additionally, healthcare sector intersected retail department.

The number of jobs in manufacturing sector rose slowly till the year 1980 and then dramatically dropped probably around 13 millions bythe year 2020. The sector of retail gradually rise till the year 2000 and then plateaued by the year 2020 also it was intersdected by the healthcare sector.

Primarily,the department of agriculture gradually decreased in the year 1980 and then remained stable till 2000 followed by a minor decline by the year 2020.The health care spiked by the year 1980 and it keep on incrementing till the year 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response attempts to summarize the main trends in the four economic sectors shown in the graph, covering manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare. However, the length requirement has not been met, as the response contains only 143 words, which falls short of the 150-word minimum penalty threshold. Furthermore, data selection is somewhat imprecise and lacks specific figures for most trends, such as failing to provide starting or ending numbers for several sectors. The overview paragraph is also weak, relying on simple listing rather than highlighting the overarching trends clearly. These limitations align best with a Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response attempts to organize information into separate paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs dedicated to specific sectors. However, paragraphing is poorly handled and fragmented, with very short, one-sentence paragraphs that disrupt logical flow and progression. Cohesive devices are used minimally and sometimes inappropriately, such as 'Additionally' and 'Primarily', leading to a disjointed feel. Referencing and progression between ideas lack smoothness, resulting in a performance that fits the Band 5.0 descriptors for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student uses a limited but minimally adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing trends, such as 'increased gradually', 'rose slowly', and 'plateaued'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, including 'secttors', 'intersdected', 'incrementing', and 'bythe'. Less common vocabulary is attempted but often inaccurate or awkward in collocation, such as 'intersected retail department'. These issues cause some distraction for the reader and reflect a solid Band 5.0 level of lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as using subordinate clauses introduced by 'till the year 1980 and then...'. However, control over grammar is inconsistent. There are several grammatical inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as 'decreased steadily by the time', 'it keep on incrementing', and missing articles or spacing issues ('bythe year'). While communication is not severely impeded, the frequency of errors places this response firmly in the Band 5.0 category for grammatical accuracy and range.

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.