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 line graph tracks the information about employment trends of the economy in the United States in 60 years of time between [redacted phone].

Overall, in 1960 manufacturing trend is the highest group among all four which roughly remain same till 2020. In contrast, farming reports to the lowest among all four career throughout the time frame.

Regarding the construction it was the largest group accounting for 15 millions by 1960. Which rise up to 20 millions in 1980 but shows gradual decline and reached to 13 millions by the end of 2020. While trade and services spiked to its peak in 2020 which was once recorded the lowest thats in 1960 at 6 millions and 2 millions respectively.

Turning towards the agriculture field in 1960 its employment was recorded higher than healthcare at 6 millions but with time they shows decrease in the numbers with passing years and reaching to the lowest at 2 millions in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to address all parts of the task by reporting information on four sectors between 1960 and 2020. However, there are significant factual inaccuracies in reading the data from the graph. For instance, the student states that manufacturing 'roughly remain same till 2020' and refers to it as 'construction', whereas manufacturing actually peaked in 1980 at 20 million before declining to 13 million. Furthermore, healthcare and retail are confused or misreported (e.g., stating 'trade and services spiked... which was once recorded the lowest... at 6 millions and 2 millions respectively' when retail started at 6 million and healthcare at 2 million). While an overview is attempted, the confusion over sector names (calling manufacturing 'construction') and misinterpretation of trends keeps this response at Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is organized into four paragraphs, including a brief introduction and an overall summary. However, logical progression is hindered by confusing category labels and poor transitional linking. Phrases like 'Regarding the construction' introduce a sector not present in the original prompt or data for that trend, disrupting the flow of ideas. Cohesive devices are used mechanically ('In contrast', 'While', 'Turning towards'), and referencing is occasionally unclear, making it difficult to follow which data point belongs to which sector. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal structure of the body paragraphs lacks clear thematic unity due to mixed-up information. This aligns with a Band 5.0 score for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, with noticeable inaccuracies that impede communication and demonstrate misunderstanding of the task data. The student uses incorrect terms for the economic sectors, such as substituting 'manufacturing' with 'construction' and 'farming' or 'agriculture' interchangeably in a confusing manner. Phrases like 'highest group among all four' and 'lowest among all four career' show limited control over collocations and word choice. There are also frequent spelling and phrasing awkwardnesses, such as 'rough remain same' and 'reaching to the lowest'. The lexical range is minimally adequate for the task, fitting the Band 5.0 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control is weak, leading to frequent grammatical errors. Examples include tense inconsistencies and awkward structures such as 'the line graph tracks the information about employment trends of the economy... in 60 years of time', 'which roughly remain same', and 'with time they shows decrease in the numbers'. Punctuation errors are also present, such as fragment sentences ('Which rise up to 20 millions in 1980...'). Due to the frequency of errors in complex structures causing some difficulty for the reader, this performance meets the criteria for Band 5.0.

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

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