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 illustrates the number of jobs occupation four different sectors of the economy from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, it is evident that the us economy in different jobs has been clearly development such as healthcare and Retail sector which registered the most pronounced growth, where as some kind of occupation experienced a decline such as Manufacturing and Agriculture industry.

As shown in the figure the healthcare sector the highest growth over the period, rising from approximately 3 millions jobs to 16 million jobs. Followed by Retail came next in climbing the number of sector also climbed from 6 millions to 16 millions. However, Manufacturing so and Agriculture didn't surge over the period.

In 1960 Manufacturing registered the highest number of employed people, at 15 million. Nevertheless over the period it experienced fluctuation, rising from 15 to 20 millions job and then decline by 1970 13 millions jobs. The figure of Agriculture as declined dramatically cat from 6 to 3 millions job and accounted for the lowest occupation where us people involved in.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by identifying and reporting the main trends and making relevant comparisons across the four economic sectors. The student attempts an overview in the second paragraph, noting the significant growth in healthcare and retail alongside the decline in manufacturing and agriculture. Specific data points are cited, such as healthcare rising from 3 to 16 million and manufacturing peaking at 20 million before declining. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in reporting specific years and figures, such as stating manufacturing peaked in 1970 when the data shows fluctuations, and some generalisations lack precise detail. Nevertheless, the core features of the graph are adequately highlighted and supported with figures, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a discernible progression of ideas. It is divided into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific sectors. However, cohesion is frequently faulty and mechanical. Cohesive devices are sometimes awkward or inaccurate, such as 'where as' and 'Followed by Retail came next in climbing the number of sector also climbed'. Paragraphing is attempted, but transitions between sentences and ideas can be disjointed, and referencing is occasionally unclear (e.g., 'Manufacturing so and Agriculture'). These issues in logical flow and cohesive management place this criterion firmly at Band 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student demonstrates a limited but minimally adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms related to economic sectors and trends such as 'healthcare', 'retail', 'growth', and 'decline'. However, there are noticeable errors in word choice, form, and collocation throughout the text, including 'jobs occupation', 'us economy', 'clear development', 'millions jobs' (instead of 'million jobs'), and 'where us people involved in'. These lexical inaccuracies and non-standard phrases cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a vocabulary range that struggles with precision, aligning with Band 5.0 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but attempts at complex structures are frequently faulty and hindered by severe grammatical errors. Examples include 'where as some kind of occupation experienced a decline', 'As shown in the figure the healthcare sector the highest growth', and 'The figure of Agriculture as declined dramatically cat from 6 to 3 millions job'. Punctuation is also weak, particularly missing commas in introductory clauses and run-on structures. Frequent errors in verb tense, preposition use, and subject-verb agreement cause significant difficulty for the reader, placing this performance at Band 4.5, rounded to 5.0 based on the positive interpretation of the band descriptors for mixed simple structures.

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.