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 given line graph illustrates the availability of jobs in four sectors of the market which contribute to the economy between the years 1960 and 2020.

Overall, half of the job fields tend to decline after the rise and other half rose from low numbers. Where the manufacturing field experienced a noticeable decline after reaching it's peak and the healthcare market upscalled massively from a low level.

In 1960 retail and agriculture were both just above five million jobs but after the year 1960 retail market soared high and kept upscaling it's job sector by addding approximately 5 million annually, whereas agriculture market kept declining steadily until 2020 where it was even below 5 million jobs in the market.

At the start, the healthcare had even less than 4 million jobs. But after 1960 it acquired a drastically high speed and kept maximizing it's job sector at a high pace. Manufacturing field after an increase in 1980 started to decline steadily and it reached below 15 million jobs till 2020 whereas healthcare crossed the manufacturing market after 2000's and crossed 15 million and outnumbered it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student provides an adequate overview of the main trends shown in the graph, successfully identifying the overall movements of the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. Key features such as the peak and subsequent decline in manufacturing, the dramatic rise in healthcare, and the divergence between retail and agriculture are noted. However, some of the data details are inaccurate or exaggerated, such as claiming the retail market added 'approximately 5 million annually', which misinterprets the scale on the graph. Furthermore, some comparisons lack precise data support. Nevertheless, all parts of the prompt are addressed, placing the response firmly at Band 6.0 in terms of task coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and two body paragraphs, establishing a logical structure. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Overall', 'whereas', and 'At the start'. However, referencing and cohesion are occasionally faulty or mechanical, as seen in awkward transitions like 'Where the manufacturing field experienced a noticeable decline... and the healthcare market upscalled massively'. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion within sentences sometimes feels clumsy, restricting the flow. This performance aligns with the Band 6 descriptor for coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, demonstrating an attempt to use less common items such as 'upscaled', 'soared high', and 'outnumbered'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, including punctuation errors with apostrophes ('reaching it's peak', 'maximizing it's job sector') and non-standard lexical choices like 'upscalled' instead of 'scaled up' or 'increased'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but the minor errors and awkward collocations prevent the response from achieving a higher band. The lexical range is sufficient to communicate the main points, earning a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and subordinate structures ('while the manufacturing field experienced...', 'whereas healthcare crossed...'). However, there are several grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes throughout the text, including missing articles ('At the start, the healthcare had...'), incorrect prepositions, and persistent errors with possessive determiners ('it's' instead of 'its'). Despite these errors, communication is not impeded, and the basic meaning remains clear. This reflects a typical Band 6 profile for grammatical range and accuracy.

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

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