Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The graph illustrates the information about the sector of economy in the US. It clearly shows all the fluctuations took place in US economy from 1960 to 2020.
The graph clearly shows jobs on one side and years on the other side. There are 4 job sectors showed in which the biggest shift occured in the healthcare sector along with the minimal drop in agriculture sector.
Firstly, focusing on healthcare sector, illustrates that only a few number of people were associated with it in 1960 to 1980. From 1980s an abrupt surge can be seen which increased it upto to 15 million people at the end of 2020. Moreover, there were only 5 million people in US associated with retail that increased to 15 million in 2020.
Furthermore, a number of people associated with agriculture sector declined over time from 5 million in 1960 to 0 million in 2020. However, the greatest fluctuations are evident in manufacturing sector which increased from 15 million to 20 million in 1960 to 1980. In the beginning of 21st century, it drops back to 15 million and dropped even more till 2020.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to summarize the main trends in the graph, such as the rise in healthcare and retail jobs and the decline in agriculture. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, the text claims that agriculture declined from 5 million in 1960 to 0 million in 2020 (the chart shows it dropped from 6 million to around 2 million), and the description of the healthcare and manufacturing sectors contains confusion regarding exact figures and trends. Furthermore, the response lacks a clear, well-developed overview, resulting in a partial fulfillment of the task requirements. These data misinterpretations and the lack of a strong overall summary place this criterion at Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into paragraphs, attempting to group information by sector (e.g., healthcare, retail, agriculture, and manufacturing). However, the overall progression is somewhat disjointed, and mechanical transitions such as 'Firstly' and 'Furthermore' are used rather rigidly. Referencing and cohesive ties are sometimes faulty, as seen in sentences like 'Firstly, focusing on healthcare sector, illustrates that only a few number...', which creates grammatical dangling and impedes smooth logical flow. Paragraphing is present, but the internal logical links between sentences need strengthening. This corresponds to a Band 5.5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, frequently relying on simple terms like 'jobs', 'people', 'increased', and 'dropped'. There are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'sector of economy' instead of 'sectors of the economy', 'abrupt surge can be seen which increased it upto to 15 million people', and 'a number of people associated with agriculture sector declined'. While the range is sufficient to communicate the general topic, noticeable lexical limitations and repetition restrict the score to a Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but many complex structures are faulty or ungrammatical. Examples include 'The graph illustrates the information about the sector of economy in the US' and 'There are 4 job sectors showed in which the biggest shift occured...' (spelling error in 'occured' and passive voice issues). Frequent errors in prepositions, article usage, and subject-verb agreement occasionally cause strain for the reader, although basic meaning is generally conveyed. These structural limitations and frequent errors align with a Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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