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 graph illustrates, how the number of jobs in manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare sectors evolved in the US between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, there was a considerable shifts in the sectors. Manufacturing was the highest throughout the period and opposite was the agriculture sector. Whereas, retail and healthcare gradually climed and reaced the same proportion.

Manufacturing was the highest in 1980 with 20 million people before the fall and in 2020 with around 13 million. Conversely, agriculture was around 6 million and in the year 1980 it declined to half then it remain same till 2000 and slightly low in 2020.

Furthermore, retail sector was approximately 6 million and it rose up to 15 in 2000 and at the end of 2020 it was around 16 million which means 10 million increased. Likewise, healthcare was 3 million in 1960 and there was a gradual increase that is five time more around 16 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the four sectors. An overview is provided, noting the general shifts and the contrasting trajectories of manufacturing and agriculture. Key data points are accurately reported, such as manufacturing peaking in 1980 at 20 million and retail and healthcare reaching 16 million by 2020. However, there are minor inaccuracies in the data reporting, such as stating healthcare was 3 million in 1960 when the chart shows it closer to 2 million, and some minor grammatical awkwardness in the overview. Overall, the information is well-selected and effectively communicated.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response has a clear overall progression and is divided into logical paragraphs. The introduction sets the context, the second paragraph provides an overview, and subsequent paragraphs detail specific sectors. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Conversely' and 'Furthermore', though referencing and transitions are occasionally a bit mechanical or imprecise, as seen in 'opposite was the agriculture sector' and 'then it remain same till 2000'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to group related information, ensuring the essay is coherent overall.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with attempts at less common items such as 'considerable shifts', 'proportion', and 'gradual increase'. However, there are several word choice and spelling errors throughout the text, including 'climed' instead of 'climbed', 'reaced' instead of 'reached', 'time' instead of 'times', and awkward phrasing like 'slightly low'. These errors do not impede communication, but they restrict the lexical score to a Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as subordinate clauses ('before the fall') and compound sentences. There are, however, several grammatical errors and punctuation slips, including a comma splice in the opening sentence ('illustrates, how'), tense inconsistencies ('remain' instead of 'remained'), and missing prepositions or articles. While these errors are noticeable, the majority of sentences are understandable, and they do not prevent the reader from following the data trends.

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.