Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-17

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 4.5)

The line chart illustrates the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020. It is measured in percentages. Overall, it can be seen that both increased as a percentages of healthcare but manufacturing remained at a higher rate through out this time.

At the beginning of the period, in 1960 to 2020 the healthcare accounted for 4 percent of job in millions whereas manufacturing the exceeded this, at just over 20 in 1980. Over the next three years, the levels became similar, with components standing between 4 and just over 20 percent. Manufacturing was still higher overall, though it dropped slightly from 1960 to 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, coming in at only 113 words. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed, leading to under-developed ideas and limited reporting of the main features. The overview is confused, incorrectly stating the data is measured in percentages rather than millions. While the student attempts to compare healthcare and manufacturing, the information is factually inaccurate according to the visual data; for instance, the claim that healthcare accounted for 4 percent in 1960 to 2020 is garbled and misinterprets the figures. Key trends across the four sectors are largely omitted or misunderstood, resulting in a low band score for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.5

The response is divided into two short paragraphs, but the organization and progression are severely hindered by confused phrasing and poor logical flow. Cohesive devices are either missing or misused, as seen in the abrupt transitions like 'Over the next three years, the levels became similar', which neither reflects the timeline of the chart (which spans decades) nor the actual data. Paragraphing is attempted, but the internal cohesion of the sentences is frequently broken, making the text difficult to follow. Referencing is unclear, particularly with ambiguous pronouns and loose connections between the sectors discussed.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.5

Vocabulary use is very basic and often inappropriate or inaccurate. The student misinterprets the unit of measurement, referring to 'percentages' instead of 'jobs in millions'. Words and phrases such as 'components standing between 4 and just over 20 percent' demonstrate a lack of precision and improper word choice. There are repeated attempts to use vocabulary related to data trends ('accounted for', 'exceeded', 'dropped slightly'), but these are undermined by factual errors and awkward collocations. The lexical range is limited and inadequate for a complete discussion of the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but grammatical control is weak. There are frequent errors in sentence structure and tense usage, such as 'both increased as a percentages of healthcare but manufacturing remained at a higher rate through out this time' and 'in 1960 to 2020 the healthcare accounted for 4 percent of job in millions'. Prepositions and pluralisation are frequently mishandled (e.g., 'job in millions'). These errors often cause difficulty for the reader and impede clear communication, restricting the score to the lower end of the band.

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

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