Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
the line graph depicts the information about the fluctuations in number of employment in four economical sectors in us from 1960 to 2020. the data has been caliberated into numbers.
as an overview, what stands out is that, there were several noticeable differences among the given categories. manufacturing sector recorded relatively higher figures, whereas agriculture accounted for considerably lower values throught the given time span.
at the first glance, it can be vivid that in the beginning manufacturing sector was stood at 15 and then rose to 20 in 1980. after that it followed a downward trend dramatically. by contrast, retail area rebunded sharply, reaching a peak around 16 in 2020.
moving towards the rest of the information, data for healthcare increased sharply from nearly 3 to around 16 over the time period. turning to agriculture, starting at approximately 6 in 1960, the figures decreased steadily, reaching just roughly 3 in 2020.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student successfully covers all parts of the task by identifying and reporting the main features of the four economic sectors in the US between 1960 and 2020. An appropriate overview is provided, highlighting the general trends and differences, such as the manufacturing sector recording higher figures and agriculture accounting for lower values throughout the period. Key data points are selected and compared, for instance, noting how manufacturing started at 15, rose to 20 in 1980, and then followed a downward trend. While the exact numerical units are not explicitly defined in the prompt (referred to as simply 15 and 20), the relative comparisons and overall trajectories are reported accurately, fulfilling the requirements for Band 6.5 to Band 7.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is arranged coherently with a clear overall progression from an introduction to an overview, followed by body paragraphs detailing specific sector trends. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different ideas. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or features awkward transitions, such as starting paragraphs with 'at the first glance' or 'moving towards the rest of the information'. Furthermore, referencing is occasionally slightly loose. These features align with a Band 6.0 performance, where the organization is logical overall, but cohesive devices can be repetitive or slightly awkward.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe trends using words like 'fluctuations', 'downward trend', 'rebounded sharply', and 'decreased steadily'. There are several noticeable lexical and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'economical' instead of 'economic', 'caliberated' instead of 'calibrated', 'throught' instead of 'throughout', 'vivid' instead of 'evident' or 'clear', and 'rebunded' instead of 'rebounded'. Despite these errors, communication is not impeded, and the range is sufficient to meet the Band 6.0 criteria.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over structure. However, there are noticeable grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text, such as capitalization issues ('the line graph...', 'as an overview...'), missing articles (e.g., 'in number of employment' instead of 'in the number of people employed' or 'number of jobs'), and awkward passive voice construction ('manufacturing sector was stood at'). Although these errors occur frequently, they rarely impede the reader's understanding, fitting the descriptor for a Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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