Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The line graph tracks the information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020. At a glance, it is observed that the highest job growth is in the category of Healthcare.
Overall, the sectors are divided into Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare respectively.
In the sector of Manufacturing, there is a upward trend from the year 1960 to 1980 then, there is steep downfall till the year 2020 with accounting 14 million jobs in the US. In the category of Retail, there is a upward trend in the number of jobs from the year 1960 to 2000. After that there is steady growth up to the year 2020.
In the sector of Healthcare, there is a significant growth in the number of jobs from 4 million to 16 million jobs over the 40 years. Lastly, in the category of Agriculture there is a gradual downfall in the number of jobs from 6 million to 3 million jobs over the 40 years.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all four sectors shown in the graph and attempts to report the main trends and changes between 1960 and 2020. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, the student states that Healthcare grew from '4 million to 16 million', whereas the graph starts at 2 million in 1960. Additionally, the overview sentence stating 'the sectors are divided into Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare respectively' is rather awkward and does not summarize the main overall trends as required by Band 7 descriptors. The highest job growth was actually in Healthcare and Retail, while Manufacturing saw a decline after 1980. While all parts are addressed, the lack of a strong overall trend summary and minor data inaccuracies keep this at a Band 6.0 level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response has an overall clear arrangement, with separate paragraphs dedicated to different sectors of the economy. However, paragraphing is somewhat fragmented, with the second paragraph consisting of only one sentence ('Overall, the sectors are divided...'). Cohesive devices are used, but sometimes mechanically or awkwardly, such as 'then, there is steep downfall' and 'After that there is steady growth'. Referencing is generally clear, but the logical progression between sentences could be smoother. The introduction and overview are not fully integrated into a cohesive opening structure. Therefore, the performance fits the Band 6 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with appropriate topic-specific terms such as 'sector', 'economy', 'job growth', and 'trend'. The student attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'steep downfall', 'significant growth', and 'gradual downfall', though some word choices are slightly unnatural or inaccurate. For example, 'accounting 14 million jobs' is grammatically incorrect and unnatural in collocation. There are occasional inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, but communication is not impeded. This demonstrates the characteristics of a Band 6 lexical performance.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The line graph tracks the information about...' and 'In the sector of Manufacturing, there is a upward trend from the year 1960 to 1980 then, there is steep downfall...'. There are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text, including missing articles ('a upward trend' instead of 'an upward trend'), comma splices ('to 1980 then, there is'), and preposition errors ('downfall till the year 2020 with accounting'). However, these errors rarely impede communication and the basic sentence structures are generally controlled well, aligning well with Band 6 criteria.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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