Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
This line graph illustrates the number of jobs in four different sectors of the US economy between 1960 and 2020 year. The manufacturing sector was on the peak in year 1980's approximately 20 million jobs but after that it was declining continousely till the end of year 2020. Whereas the retail sector is raising since year 1960's till 2020 of about more than 15 million jobs in this sector. Similarly, with the growth of new technology and need of healthcare workers the job roles are in demand of this sector in the US and raising year by year. It is running parallel to the retail sector. Additially, the agriculture sector jobs are somewhat constant from past 4 decades. This shows the not much growth in the agriculture sector comparatevely from the other sectors. when we talk about the numbers so the agriculture sector is still standing between 2.5 million jobs since 1980's to 2020's.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to cover the main features of the graph, mentioning the manufacturing, retail, technology/healthcare, and agriculture sectors. However, the data points provided are imprecise, and there is no clear overview given at the beginning or end of the text. The student writes that manufacturing 'was on the peak in year 1980's approximately 20 million jobs' and that agriculture 'is still standing between 2.5 million jobs'. Because the trends and comparisons are somewhat superficial and lack a cohesive overview, the response meets the requirements for Band 5.5, which is rounded to 5.0 in standard IELTS whole/half band scoring conventions for partial coverage, though the descriptor best fits a solid Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The essay is presented as a single paragraph rather than being structured into a standard introduction, body paragraphs, and an overview/conclusion. This lack of paragraphing severely limits the organizational structure of the response. Although some basic cohesive devices are used, such as 'Whereas', 'Similarly', and 'Additially', the progression of ideas is disjointed. Phrases like 'when we talk about the numbers so the agriculture sector' demonstrate an overly conversational and unacademic cohesive style. Consequently, the organization lacks clear progression, placing it firmly in the Band 5 category.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, with frequent reliance on simple words like 'sector', 'jobs', and 'growing'. There are noticeable word choice and spelling errors throughout the text, such as 'continousely' instead of continuously, 'raising' instead of rising, and 'Additially' instead of additionally. The phrase 'standing between 2.5 million jobs' is also awkward and unnatural. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey basic concepts about the graph, these errors and the limited range restrict the score to Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The text displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple or poorly constructed complex sentences. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'The manufacturing sector was on the peak in year 1980's' (incorrect preposition and tense usage), 'the job roles are in demand of this sector... and raising year by year', and 'this shows the not much growth'. Punctuation is also problematic, including run-on structures and conversational phrasing like 'when we talk about the numbers so...'. These frequent errors cause difficulty for the reader and reflect Band 5 grammatical control.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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