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 line graph illustrates volume of jobs in four different economic sectors in the United States over the period of 60 years from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, Manufacturing and healthcare decreased, while retail and agriculture showed an upward trend.

In 1960 there were 15 million jobs of manufacturing which increased to 20 million in 1980. Later on, it declined to 16 , 13 million in 2000 and 2020 respectively. Agriculture experienced quite similar trend, it is above 5 million in 1960, decline steadily in the next six decades and hitting at lowest 2 million.

looking at other side, healthcare was least popular at the start, begin at 2 million and reached at 5 in 1980. It drastically rose with 5 million of incensement and reached at the highest above 15 million in 2020. Retail showed similar trend, started from 6 million rapidly increased to 10 million in 1980 reached at 15 and experienced minimal change of 1 million in next 20 years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main trends and making relevant comparisons across the four sectors. An appropriate overview is provided in the second paragraph, stating that manufacturing and healthcare decreased/increased correctly (though with a slight miscategorisation of agriculture's overall direction, which actually declined overall, while retail and healthcare rose). Key data points are selected and reported, such as manufacturing starting at 15 million in 1960 and peaking at 20 million in 1980 before declining. However, some data reporting contains inaccuracies or lacks clarity, such as stating 'agriculture experienced quite similar trend, it is above 5 million in 1960, decline steadily in the next six decades and hitting at lowest 2 million', which contrasts with its downward trajectory compared to retail. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, placing it firmly at Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The report has a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph structure, including a separate introduction, an overview paragraph, and body paragraphs dedicated to specific sectors. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'Later on', and 'looking at other side'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, the transition 'looking at other side' is unnatural, and the punctuation and phrasing within sentences, such as '16 , 13 million in 2000 and 2020 respectively', disrupt smooth reading flow. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate ideas, but logical progression within paragraphs could be smoother. These issues align with the Band 6 descriptor, where cohesion is sometimes faulty and referencing is not always clear.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to economic sectors and trends, such as 'volume of jobs', 'upward trend', 'declined', and 'peaked'. However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'incensement' instead of 'increase', and awkward phrasing like 'least popular at the start'. Spelling and word-formation errors do not severely impede communication, but they prevent the writing from achieving a higher band. The vocabulary is generally functional and sufficient to convey the main features of the graph, fitting the criteria for Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as subordinate clauses ('while retail and agriculture showed an upward trend'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions. Examples include 'there were 15 million jobs of manufacturing which increased', 'decline steadily' (tense inconsistency with 'is'), 'begin at 2 million and reached at 5', and 'reached at 15 and experienced minimal change'. Punctuation is also weak in places, such as detached numbers ('16 , 13 million'). While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur regularly throughout the text, making Band 5.5 the most accurate descriptor for grammatical accuracy.

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

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