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 above given graph is about the number of jobs in four sectors of economy in US , in the years [redacted phone]. The graph contains X - axis showing the years and the Y- axis showing the jobs in millions. The four sectors of economy are manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare. All four sectors of economy in the graph are shown by different styles of lines. The manufacturing sector jobs in US, has initially increase till the year 1980 from 1960 and then start diminishing gradually. The retail sector jobs from the year 1960 to 1980 increases from increasing rate but between in the year 1980 to 2020 it increases with dimishing rate. The healthcare sector jobs are increasing in all the years but in between 1980 to 2000 it has increased with an increasing rate. The agricultural sector jobs has first decreased with a highly diminishing rate then it has decreased with a constant rate between the years 1980 to 2000 and then again in the years 2000 to 2020 it has decreased with a diminishing rate.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student covers all four sectors mentioned in the graph and attempts to report general trends over the given period. However, the response lacks a clear overview, which is essential for a Band 6 or above in Academic Task 1. Furthermore, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the data; for instance, stating that agricultural sector jobs decreased with a constant rate between 1980 and 2000 does not accurately reflect the visual data where numbers remained flat at 3 million. The overall development of main features is somewhat mechanical and lacks comparison between sectors. It meets the requirements partially, aligning with a Band 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text suffers from a major structural flaw: it is written as a single block paragraph instead of being organized into logical paragraphs (such as an introduction, overview, and body paragraphs). Although there are attempts to sequence ideas using transition words like 'initially', 'then', and 'between', the lack of paragraphing and the repetitive sentence structures ('The [sector] sector jobs...') create a mechanical feel and hinder overall progression. Referencing and logical flow are sometimes imprecise, resulting in a Band 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for basic reporting, including terms like 'diminishing rate', 'gradually', and 'sectors of economy'. However, there is a reliance on repetitive and unnatural phrasing (e.g., 'jobs in US, has initially increase' and 'increasing rate'). There are noticeable word-form errors, such as 'dimishing' instead of 'diminishing' and 'increase' instead of 'increased'. Less common lexical items are attempted but often imprecise or inaccurate, placing this response firmly at Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but attempts at complex forms are frequently marred by grammatical errors. Examples include subject-verb agreement errors ('The manufacturing sector jobs... has initially increase') and tense inconsistencies ('then start diminishing'). Punctuation and article usage are also problematic throughout the text (e.g., missing articles before 'US' and 'X-axis'). Because frequent grammatical errors cause some difficulty for the reader and impede fluency, a Band 5.0 is appropriate.

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