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 given line graph illustrates the trend of number of employment in four different sectors of economy including manufacturing, retail, healthcare and agriculture in United States from 1960 to 2020.Two areas of economy experienced rapid growth over the years while two of them showed a decline in number of jobs.
We can see from the graph that in 1960 the manufacturing sectors was dominating in hiring workforce at 15 million whereas the remaining sectors of economy was at 5 million or below it.manufacturing sector faced fluctuation by attaining a peak of emploing the persons at 20 million in the year 1980 that was reduced moderately over theyears upto 2020 and reached at its lowest at around 12 million.
Retail and healthcare sectors shared the similar trend. they both experienced a gradual increase in wmplowmemt upto 16 million over the years that began with 5 million and 2 million respectively in the year 1960. whereas agriculture that was qiet similar in providi
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student attempts to address the task by outlining the main trends in the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. An overview is provided in the introduction, noting that two sectors grew while two declined. Key data points are mentioned, such as manufacturing starting at 15 million in 1960 and peaking at 20 million in 1980 before dropping to 12 million. However, the response is incomplete and cuts off mid-sentence ('whereas agriculture that was qiet similar in providi'), leaving the description of the final sectors unfinished. Because the response is truncated, the development of the task is hindered, leading to a band score of 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response exhibits some basic organizational structure with an introductory sentence and separate paragraphs for different sectors. Cohesive devices are attempted (e.g., 'we can see from the graph', 'whereas'), but referencing and linking are sometimes faulty or mechanical. Paragraphing is initiated, but the abrupt ending of the text disrupts the logical flow and progression. Additionally, punctuation and sentence boundary issues (e.g., lowercase letters at the start of sentences like 'manufacturing sector faced' and 'retail and healthcare sectors shared... they both') negatively impact the overall readability and cohesion of the essay.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary relevant to the visual data, including terms such as 'employment', 'sectors', 'fluctuation', 'peak', and 'gradual increase'. However, there are numerous lexical errors, spelling mistakes, and awkward word formations, such as 'trend of number of employment', 'manufacturing sectors was dominating in hiring workforce', 'emploing the persons', 'wmplowmemt', and 'qiet'. These errors reflect an inconsistent control of word choice and spelling, placing the lexical performance solidly at Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('that was reduced moderately over theyears upto 2020'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak throughout the text, featuring frequent errors such as missing articles ('in United States'), subject-verb agreement issues ('sectors was dominating'), incorrect prepositions, and run-on structures. Punctuation and capitalization are also erratic, with sentences starting with lowercase letters. These frequent errors cause occasional difficulty for the reader, matching the descriptor for Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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