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 illustrate, number of jobs in four sector of the economy in the UD from 1960 to year 2020. Jobs ranges from 0 to 25 millions on y-axis, while number of years are mentioned on x-axis. Sectors including manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare show variations over the period of time.

Manufacturing sector shows the gradual increase of 15 million jobs to 20 million from 1960 to 1980 then it taper off to 14 million till year 2020. Retail industry shows a gradual climb from 5 millions to 16 million, in 1980 it was of 10 million jobs industry, in year 2000 it was of 15 million. Healthcare sector shows a surge, having the lowest jobs in 1960 which was around 3 million and till year 2020 it reached at 16 millions. Agriculture sector shows a descend over the time, in 1960 it was havig 6 million jobs then fall to 3 million in 1980, after 2000 it shows more descend till 2020

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all four sectors of the economy (manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare) and highlights key trends over the 1960 to 2020 period. The student attempts to report main features and make general comparisons, such as noting that healthcare had the lowest jobs initially and reached 16 million by 2020, while agriculture showed a descent. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the data precisely. For instance, the opening states that manufacturing went from 15 million to 20 million, whereas the chart shows it starting near 16 million in 1960. Furthermore, there is no overview paragraph provided, which prevents the response from fully presenting a clear overall picture of the trends. Ideas are present but under-developed due to these minor omissions and structural gaps. This places the performance firmly at Band 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organised into a brief introductory sentence and a body paragraph, but the lack of proper paragraphing and an overall structure impacts logical progression. The writer jumps straight from the introduction into individual sector descriptions without grouping ideas effectively or providing a clear overarching summary. Cohesive devices are minimal and basic, relying mostly on time markers like 'in 1960', 'then', and 'after 2000'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the text lacks sophisticated transitions to guide the reader smoothly through the comparative data. Overall arrangement shows some coherence, but the mechanical nature of the linking and the absence of a distinct overview or concluding paragraph limit the score to a Band 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary relevant to the task, including domain-specific terms like 'manufacturing', 'retail', 'agriculture', and 'healthcare'. There are also successful attempts at less common vocabulary such as 'variations', 'gradual climb', and 'surge'. However, there are numerous lexical and collocation errors throughout the response, including typos ('UD' instead of US, 'havig' instead of having) and awkward word choices ('taper off' used incorrectly, 'descend' used as a noun, and minor pluralisation issues like '5 millions'). Despite these inaccuracies, communication is not seriously impeded. The range of vocabulary is sufficient for the task, earning a Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and coordinate structures. However, there are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors that recur throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The line graph illustrate', 'Retail industry shows... it was of 10 million jobs industry'), missing articles, and awkward phrasing ('reached at 16 millions'). Punctuation is also weak, with run-on sentences lacking proper commas or periods, particularly in the second paragraph. While some sentences are error-free, the frequency of basic structural errors means control is inconsistent. This performance corresponds to a Band 5.0.

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