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 graphical representation demonstrates the imformation about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy like manufacturing, ratail, agriculture and heathcare in the US between 1960 and 2020.

In 1960, the number of jobs in manufacturing sector were 15 million and it increased sharply to 20 million in 1980. However, it fell gradually to less than 14 million in 2020.

Futhurmore,the number of jobs in retail sector were around 16 million in 1960 but, it rocketed sharply to 15 million in 2000.In 2020,it rise steadily to around 16 million.

Nevertheless,the number of jobs in agriculture sector were also abound 16 milliom in 1960 buy, it decreased to less than 14 million in 1980. Moreover, it was levelled of till 2000 and in 2020, the figure fell barely to 13 million. Nonetheless,the number of jobs in healthcare sector were around 3 million in 1960 but, the figure increased to 5 million in 1980.However,the jobs in healthcare sector were inceased every year with the pace.

Overall, the jobs in retail and healthcare sectors was less in starting years but it increased every year. However, about manufacturing sector the jobs were increased first and than decreased. Jobs in agriculture sector were deceasing every year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The candidate attempts to cover all four economic sectors across the given period, but there are numerous significant data inaccuracies throughout the response. For example, the student states that retail jobs in 1960 were 'around 16 million' (actual figure was 6 million) and that agriculture jobs in 1960 were 'abound 16 milliom' (actual figure was 6 million). Furthermore, manufacturing figures are misread in later years. While an overview is attempted at the end, the frequent misinterpretation of the visual data significantly undermines the task response. Therefore, this falls under Band 5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text is divided into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs dedicated to different sectors, and an overall summary at the end. However, the use of cohesive devices is often awkward, mechanical, or inappropriate for the context (e.g., using 'Nevertheless' or 'Futhurmore' incorrectly to link contrasting or additive points). Referencing and logical progression are occasionally hindered by poor sentence construction and data misreadings, leading to a score of 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary range is limited and repetitive, with noticeable spelling and word-choice errors that occasionally cause difficulty for the reader. Examples of spelling and lexical errors include 'imformation', 'ratail', 'heathcare', and 'futhurmore'. The student attempts to use some less common verbs such as 'rocketed' and 'increased', but inaccurate data reporting and collocation issues restrict the lexical score to Band 5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response exhibits a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic subject-verb-object patterns. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'the number of jobs... were', 'the jobs in retail and healthcare sectors was') and incorrect prepositions or tenses. These persistent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader, aligning with the Band 5 descriptors.

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

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