Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-14

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 compares the number of employess , namely MANUFACTURING , RETAIL , AGRICULTURE and HEALTHCARE , the economy of these sectors in the US , from 1960 to 2020

Overall it is evident that , the rate of employment in manufacturing recorded the highest figure while the healthcare department had the lowest number of jobs . Meanwhile , RETAIL AND AGRICULTURE increased throughout the period .

In 1960 , the number of jobs in MANUFACTURING sector increased from 15 to 20 in 1980 making it the largest , while the healtyhcare raised from 2 to 5 in 1980 , both retail and agriculture rose from 6 in 1960 to 10 for retail and 3 for agriculture in 1980

By 2000 , the number of employement in manufacturing fell continuosly from 17 in 2000 to 8 in the final year , whereas the proportion jobs in retail rose continuosly

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to address the prompt by summarizing the main features of the line graph showing employment in four US economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. However, the response is cut off mid-sentence and lacks a complete final overview or full reporting of the data at the end of the period. While an overview is attempted ('Overall it is evident that...'), the selection of data points is somewhat erratic, and several figures cited (such as 'increased from 15 to 20 in 1980') lack clear units or context. The description lacks full development and fails to cover all required comparisons systematically. This places the response firmly at Band 5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is divided into paragraphs, which establishes a basic structure, but the organization and progression are compromised. The student uses basic transitional markers such as 'Overall' and 'Meanwhile', but referencing and linking between ideas are frequently faulty or mechanical. For instance, the transition from 1980 data into the 2000 period lacks a smooth logical flow, and the abrupt ending of the text leaves the progression incomplete. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal cohesion of the body paragraphs is weak, resulting in a score of 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, such as 'increased', 'rose', and 'number of jobs'. There are noticeable lexical errors, including spelling mistakes ('employess' instead of employees, 'healtyhcare', 'raisd', 'continuosly') and awkward collocations ('the economy of these sectors'). While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the basic topic, the frequent errors and restricted range prevent the response from achieving a higher band, reflecting a typical Band 5 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are frequent punctuation errors, such as spaces placed before commas (e.g., 'employess , namely'), run-on clauses, and missing terminal punctuation at the end of the essay. Furthermore, agreement and tense consistency are problematic ('the healtyhcare raised', 'proportion jobs'). These recurring errors cause occasional difficulty for the reader and keep the grammatical score at a Band 5.

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

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