Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-18
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 illustrates the number of jobs in various sector of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020.
Overall, the manufacturing sector had the highest jobs compared to other sector in every year except 2020. The jobs in agriculture sector was comparetively lower than other sector. There was constant increase in jobs over the years in retail sector from 6 million in 1960 to 16 million in 2020. The number of jobs were enlarged in healthcare every two decades and it reaches to 16 million in 2020 from 3 million in 1960. In 1980, the manufacturing sector was at peak in number of job which were 20 million. The jobs were similar in agriculture and retail sector in 1960 but by 2020 the retail sector was increased and agriculture sector was decreased. The retail and healthcare sector was equal in number of jobs in 2020.
The manufacturing sector had more number of jobs and agriculture sector had less number of jobs in all years.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all four sectors and provides an overview of the main trends across the given time period, meeting the core requirements of Task 1. Key features, such as manufacturing peaking in 1980 and retail and healthcare rising significantly to 16 million by 2020, are correctly identified and supported by data. However, the organisation of information lacks clear structuring, and the third paragraph unnecessarily repeats points already made in the overview and body, such as 'The manufacturing sector had more number of jobs and agriculture sector had less number of jobs in all years.' While the main trends are present, the overall development could be more precisely integrated.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response has an overall logical arrangement, attempting to group information into an introduction, body, and concluding summary sentence. However, the paragraphing is underdeveloped, particularly with the final one-sentence paragraph that acts as a redundant summary. Cohesive devices are basic and repetitive, relying heavily on simple transition phrases and time markers. Referencing is occasionally repetitive or vague, such as 'other sector' and 'every two decades'. While the progression of ideas is generally understandable, the lack of sophisticated cohesive links and poor paragraph structuring keep this criterion at a Band 5.5.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary relevant to the task, including terms like 'sector', 'economy', 'retail', 'healthcare', and 'agriculture'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations throughout the text, such as 'various sector' (plural error), 'highest jobs' (incorrect collocation for volume), 'number of jobs were enlarged' (unnatural verb choice), and 'at peak in number of job'. Spelling is generally accurate, but word choice limitations and lack of precision in describing statistical trends prevent the score from reaching higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The line graph illustrates the number of jobs... and make comparisons where relevant' (borrowed prompt) and relative or comparative structures. However, grammatical inaccuracies are frequent. Examples include subject-verb agreement errors ('The jobs in agriculture sector was', 'The retail and healthcare sector was equal'), missing articles ('in retail sector', 'in healthcare'), and awkward passive/active confusions ('The number of jobs were enlarged'). These errors cause some irritation for the reader, though they rarely obscure the overall meaning completely.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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