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 the information regarding the number of employements in -Manufacturing, Retailing, Agriculturing, and Healthcare centers of the ecomony in US between 1960 and 2020.

Overall,it is vividly manifested that the manufacturing sector had accunted for the highest number of jobs.In contrast,retailing and healthcare experienced a steady increased throughout the span.while agriculture showed a downward trend untill 2020.

In greater detail,the manufacturing sector had accounted for 15 million in 1960, which sharply increased to reached at peak for 20 million untill 1980.In contrast,it steadily plummeted to 17 and following the same downward trend to reached at 13 million in 2020.

Retailing had the same number of manufacturing in 1960,which surge to 10 million by 1980.Subsequently,this flow was continued to reached at 15 million in 2000 and then the flow was slightly decreased but it reached to approximately 16 million by 2020.

Coversely, healthcare increased to 5 milion by 1980 and followed the upward trend to 12 million by 2000 and it constantly reaching to level up the retailing sector by around 16 million by the end of 2020.

However, agriculture was 6 million ibn 1960,which went up to 3 million by 1980 and remained the same untill 2000.A slight decreased by 2020 at around 2 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student covers all four economic sectors shown in the graph and makes relevant comparisons across the given time period. An overview is provided, noting the prominence of the manufacturing sector and the different trajectories of the other industries. However, there are several factual and mathematical inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, the student states that agriculture 'went up to 3 million by 1980', whereas the graph shows it falling to around 3 million from 6 million. Furthermore, some data points are misreported, such as retailing reaching 15 million in 2000 and then decreasing, when the graph shows it continuing to rise. Because the information is not fully accurate regarding the visual data, the task response is limited in precision. Therefore, a band score of 5.5 is appropriate for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is structured into an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for detailed comparisons. Cohesive devices are used to signal transitions between ideas, such as 'In contrast', 'Subsequently', and 'Conversely'. However, paragraphing is somewhat erratic, with single sentences acting as paragraphs in places like the final sentence on agriculture. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and logical progression is disrupted by the data misinterpretations. While there is an overall organizational structure, the mechanical execution of cohesion and uneven paragraphing prevent a higher score. Overall, the coherence and cohesion demonstrate features of Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student attempts a range of vocabulary relevant to the topic, including words like 'plummeted', 'trajectory', and economic sectors such as 'manufacturing' and 'retailing'. However, there are numerous lexical errors, awkward word formations, and non-standard terms, such as 'employements', 'Agriculturing', 'ecomony', and 'accunted'. Additionally, words are used incorrectly, such as 'surge' instead of 'surged' and 'milion' with a missing letter. The vocabulary is adequate for conveying basic trends, but frequent inaccuracies in word choice and spelling place it firmly at a band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and time markers like 'between 1960 and 2020'. However, grammatical accuracy is weak throughout the text. There are frequent errors in verb tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions, such as 'increased throughout the span.while agriculture', 'reached at peak', and 'Constantly reaching to level up'. Punctuation is also problematic, with missing spaces after commas and periods. Due to the high frequency of grammatical errors and awkward phrasing that sometimes strain the reader, a band score of 5.0 is assigned.

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