Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-13

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 demonstrates the job availability in diffenent sectors in a time period of 1960 till 2020. It shows fluctuations in four departments that is manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare.

Healthcare section was offering the lowest number of jobs in 1960, however the graph shows constant and gradual increase throughout the years and in 2020 providing one of the highest jobs in healthcare. Same retail was offering a little more than 5 million jobs in 1960 but shows an increase in jobs reaching 15 million in 2020.

On the other hand agricultre sector was offering around 5 million jobs in 1969 but showed a drastic decrease in 2020 giving only around half the jobs it used to provide. Manufacturing sector also shwed an inverted V shaped line strating from 15 million which was the highest in 1960 then reaching 20 million in 1980 but showed an incline afterwards ending t less than 15 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all four sectors mentioned in the graph (healthcare, retail, agriculture, and manufacturing) and attempts to report main features and comparisons over the 1960-2020 period. For example, the student notes that healthcare had the lowest number of jobs in 1960 and rose to become one of the highest by 2020, while retail increased to 15 million. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the data; for instance, the manufacturing sector peak is cited as reaching 20 million in 1980, and agriculture is mentioned for the year 1969 rather than 1960. Furthermore, some trends lack complete development and precision, placing this response at Band 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is organized into an introduction and three body paragraphs, attempting to group information by sectors. Progression is visible, though somewhat disjointed. Cohesive devices are basic and sometimes repetitive or awkwardly used, as seen in phrases like 'Same retail was offering' and 'On the other hand agricultre sector'. Paragraphing is present, but overall structural flow and referencing lack sophistication. This aligns well with the descriptors for Band 5.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a limited but minimally adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing economic trends, using terms such as 'fluctuations', 'increase', 'decrease', and 'sector'. However, there are noticeable spelling errors ('diffenent', 'agricultre', 'shwed', 'strating', 'ending t') and awkward word choices ('departments' instead of 'sectors', 'Healthcare section'). These lexical limitations cause occasional friction for the reader, fitting a Band 5.5 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as introductory subordinate clauses ('however the graph shows constant and gradual increase...'). However, frequent grammatical errors, missing prepositions, and punctuation issues are present throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies and run-on sentences. While communication is not totally obscured, the density of errors prevents the response from reaching Band 6.0, making Band 5.0 a more accurate reflection of grammatical control.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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