Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The data demonstrates the amount of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US from 1960 to forward 2020.The amount of jobs are represent in million.

In the department of manufacturing their are 15 jobs while,in healthcare their are almost 2 to 3 jobs in 1960.There is high increase in 1980 in both departments but after that, the manufacturing area goes on decrease till 2020 and fall on 10.On the other hand, healthcare part had a dramatic increase from 1980 to 2020 and reached 15-16 jobs.

The agriculture sector had a start from 5 jobs in 1960 but the downfall happened in 1980 which continue to 2000 and also till 2020.There is a fourth part as retail which has a same begning like agriculture from 5 but this side has a dramatic increase in jobs in 1980 which goes same in 2000 and in 2000 their is a big rise in jobs which remains the same till 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to cover the main trends in the four economic sectors over the 60-year period, mentioning manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, and retail. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, the student states that manufacturing fell to 10 in 2020 (whereas the visual data shows approximately 13 million) and fails to clearly report the correct millions scale for individual figures, writing vague phrases like 'almost 2 to 3 jobs'. Furthermore, the response lacks a clear overall overview paragraph, which is essential for Band 6 and above in Academic Task 1. Because some data points are misread or under-developed, this places the response at Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text is divided into three paragraphs, providing some basic structural organisation. However, progression is somewhat disjointed, and referencing is often unclear (e.g., jumping between sectors without smooth transitions). Cohesive devices are basic and repetitive, such as excessive reliance on conjunctions like 'and' or contrast markers like 'On the other hand'. Paragraphing is attempted, but grouping related data could be improved. The overall flow is occasionally impeded by poor phrasing, corresponding to a Band 5.0 level.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, with frequent reliance on simple words like 'jobs', 'area', and 'part'. There are also significant lexical and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'the amount of jobs' (instead of 'number of jobs'), 'amount of jobs are represent' (grammatical/lexical error), and confusing 'jobs' with the actual numerical values. Less common lexical items are attempted ('dramatic increase', 'downfall'), but they are handled with limited control. This meets the criteria for Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response features a mix of simple sentence structures and basic attempts at complex sentences, but these are frequently marred by grammatical errors. There are frequent issues with subject-verb agreement ('their are 15 jobs', 'the amount of jobs are represent'), missing articles ('in healthcare', 'in agriculture sector'), and punctuation errors. Punctuation and spacing issues are also prevalent throughout the text (e.g., missing spaces after commas and periods). These persistent errors cause some difficulty for the reader, aligning with Band 5.0.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.