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 information about the number of jobs in Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare of the economy in the US between 1960 to 2020. Units are measured in millions.

Overall, It is cleared that the number of jobs in Retail and Healthcare rose significantly over the period without any fluctuations, while the number of jobs in Agriculture decreased over the period. However, the number of jobs in Manufacturing decline and finish below Retail and Healthcare by the end of the period.

In 1960, the number of jobs in Manufacturing was 15 million which was highest in that period, then in 1980 it rose to 20 million before declining to around 17 million in 2000. In 2020 the number of jobs in Manufacture decreased to below 15 million and it finishes even below than Retail and Healthcare. In the meantime, the number of jobs in Retail in 1960 was above 5 million and it rose to 15 million in 2000 without any fluctuations. In 2020 it shows a steady rose to around 16 million but it finishes above the manufacturing.

On the other hand, the number of jobs in Healthcare and Agriculture in 1960 was around 2 million and above 5 million.

In 1980 the number of jobs in healthcare rose to 10 million and by the end of the period it increased to above 15 million same as Retail. Despite being higher than Healthcare the number of jobs in Agriculture decreased to below 5 million in 1980 and finishes around 2 million by 2020 which was the lowest in the figure.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all four economic sectors across the given time period, presenting a clear overview and highlighting key trends such as the significant growth in Retail and Healthcare and the decline in Agriculture and Manufacturing. However, there are a few minor data inaccuracies in the body paragraphs; for example, the student states that Healthcare rose to 10 million in 1980 (whereas the visual data shows it at around 5 million) and mentions that Retail experienced no fluctuations while rising steadily, ignoring the drop/leveling in other sectors or general trends. Despite these slight misreadings of specific points, the main features are successfully identified and compared, satisfying the requirements of a Band 6.5 to 7.0 task response, leaning toward a solid Band 6.0 due to inaccuracies in data reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overall summary, and two body paragraphs detailing the specific data. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas, such as 'Overall', 'In 1960', 'In the meantime', and 'On the other hand'. However, referencing and transitions are sometimes clumsy or mechanical, such as 'In 2020 it shows a steady rose' and awkward transitions within sentences. Paragraphing is present and appropriate, but the progression within paragraphs could be smoother and more precise. Overall, the essay demonstrates a coherent structure that is easy to follow, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student attempts a range of vocabulary relevant to the task, including sector names ('Manufacturing', 'Retail', 'Agriculture', 'Healthcare') and reporting verbs ('illustrates', 'rose', 'decreased', 'declining'). However, there are notable word-form and collocation errors, such as 'It is cleared' instead of 'It is clear', 'Manufacture' instead of 'Manufacturing', and 'steady rose' instead of 'steady rise'. Less common lexical items are attempted but lack precision. While the vocabulary is adequate to convey the core message, these recurring errors and limitations prevent the response from achieving a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The essay displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and time clauses ('which was highest in that period', 'before declining to around 17 million'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies and word-form issues ('It is cleared that', 'Manufacture decreased to below 15 million and it finishes', 'same as Retail'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors are present, they rarely impede overall communication. This performance fits the Band 6 profile, featuring a mix of structures alongside noticeable non-systematic errors.

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

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