Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-16

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 graph combines the information about the numbers of jobs in different four sectors of economy in US between 1960 and 2020.

Here are the four sectors including Manufacturing ,Retail ,Agriculture and Health care. As the sector manufacture contains a highest rank as compare to other sectors. Retail and healthcare sector followed upward trend from low to high. And agriculture remains on low trend.

On the one hand manufacturing sector gives job to 15 million peoples in 1960 and showing the growth up to 20 million peoples in 1980. In between 1980 and 2020 it drops slowly day by day and stop at approximately 12 million.

On the other hand retail and healthcare sector followed same trend lower to high. From 1960 both goes upward from 4 to 5 million to 15 million in year 2020. Furthermore the agriculture is the sector which gives minor jobs to peoples about 5 million in 1960. And from 1980 to 2020 it decreased by 3 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student attempts to cover the main features of the chart, including general trends for manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare. However, the response contains inaccuracies and vague reporting. For example, the statement that agriculture 'decreased by 3 million' from 1980 to 2020 is incorrect, as it went from around 3 million down to 2 million. Additionally, the overview paragraph lacks clarity and is awkwardly phrased ('the sector manufacture contains a highest rank as compare to other sectors'). While all four sectors are mentioned, the lack of precision in data reporting and underdeveloped overview place this response at Band 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text is organized into paragraphs with an introduction and body paragraphs covering different sectors. However, the logical progression is hindered by poor cohesive devices and mechanical linking phrases, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore', which are used inappropriately given the nature of the data. Paragraphing is attempted, but sentence-to-sentence transitions feel disjointed. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'both goes upward'. These issues align with a Band 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, with noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'sector manufacture contains a highest rank', 'gives job to', 'peoples' (instead of people), and 'low trend'. There are also awkward expressions like 'drops slowly day by day and stop at approximately 12 million'. The range is sufficient for the task to be minimally understood, but vocabulary limitations and inaccuracies restrict the score to Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response includes a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but attempts at complex structures often feature grammatical errors or awkward phrasing, such as 'As the sector manufacture contains a highest rank as compare to other sectors.' Errors in subject-verb agreement and preposition usage are frequent, for example, 'manufacturing sector gives job to 15 million peoples' and 'from 1960 both goes upward'. Punctuation is also erratic in places. These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader, fitting the Band 5.0 descriptors.

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

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