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 ligne charts provide informtion about the number of jobs in Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare sectors of the US economy between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, Retail and Healthcare sectors showed an upward trend during the period, while Manufacturing and Agriculture sectors experienced a downward trend over the period, but Manufacturing sector steal high and it degraded to the third place.

In 1960, Manfacturing sector accounted for the highest share at 15 jobs in millions, Retail and Agriculture share were at around 6 jobs in millions, and the least sector was Healtcare chart.

Retail and Healthcare sectors share grew gradually to their pick around 16 jobs in millions in 2020, Manufacturing sector share rose to 20 jobs in millions in 1980 and it decreased gradually almost to 14 jobs in millions in 2020, Agriculture sector represented the smallest share, it dropped to around 4 jobs in millions in 1980 and remained until 2000, then it again fell in 2020 to around 3 jobs in millions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the four sectors. The overview correctly highlights the broad upward trend for Retail and Healthcare and the downward trend for Manufacturing and Agriculture. Key data points are cited, such as Manufacturing starting at 15 million in 1960 and peaking at 20 million in 1980. However, there are minor numerical inaccuracies in the body paragraphs; for instance, the student states Manufacturing decreased to 14 in 2020 (the visual data shows 13) and Agriculture dropped to 4 in 1980 (the data shows 3). Despite these minor discrepancies, the overall response provides a clear summary of the trends and satisfies the requirements of Task 1.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is arranged logically into four paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overview, and then two body paragraphs detailing specific data. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Overall', 'In 1960', and 'then it again fell'. However, paragraphing is somewhat underdeveloped, as the overview is only a single sentence and blends into the body. Additionally, referencing is occasionally imprecise, and the transition between ideas can feel slightly mechanical. Overall arrangement is coherent, but organizational clarity prevents it from reaching a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary adequate for the task, incorporating terms such as 'upward trend', 'downward trend', 'share', and 'accounted for'. However, there are several spelling errors ('ligne' instead of line, 'informtion' instead of information, 'Manfacturing', 'Healtcare', 'pick' instead of peak) and awkward phrasing ('steali high' and 'the least sector'). Less common lexical items are attempted, but inaccuracies in word choice and spelling restrict the score to a Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing coordinating and subordinating conjunctions such as 'while', 'and', and 'then'. There are instances of good grammatical control, but frequent errors persist, particularly with verb tense consistency, preposition use, and missing articles (e.g., 'Retail and Healthcare sectors share grew', 'Agriculture sector represented the smallest share, it dropped'). Punctuation is also problematic, notably with comma splices linking independent clauses. These errors occasionally cause minor strain for the reader, aligning the response with Band 5.5.

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