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 given graph illustrates the information of four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020, namely: Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture, Healthcare.

Overall, Manufacturing indicates the peak growth after two decade but later fall sharply reported downward trend, Healthcare and Retail sectors reached peak numbers demonstrated upward trend. However, Agriculture field remained at bottom showed modest fall since the beginning.

On the first hand, In 1960 Manifacturing was considered the most stabalized job sector, contributed almost 15 million jobs. with the high peak success number touched 20 million in 1980. However, after this it dropped significantly indicating modest fall till 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response attempts to summarise the main features of the graph, identifying sectors such as Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture, and Healthcare. However, the candidate fails to complete the task, writing only 103 words, which falls significantly short of the 150-word minimum requirement. Furthermore, the description is incomplete and stops abruptly in the middle of discussing Manufacturing, leaving out the trends for Retail, Healthcare, and Agriculture in the main body paragraphs. The overview mentions general trends, but the lack of completion and severe under-length penalise the score heavily, aligning it with Band 4.0 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response makes an attempt at structure by including an introductory sentence and an overall summary statement. However, cohesive devices are used clumsily or inappropriately, such as 'On the first hand' and 'with the high peak success number'. Paragraphing is disrupted by the abrupt ending of the text after only three short paragraphs, and there is no clear logical progression through a fully developed set of body paragraphs. Referencing is sometimes unclear, which impacts the overall flow. These characteristics place the response squarely in Band 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for basic description, including terms like 'sectors', 'economy', and 'trend'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'indicated the peak growth after two decade but later fall sharply' and 'Manifacturing was considered the most stabalized job sector'. Spelling errors ('Manifacturing', 'stabalized') and word formation issues ('modest fall') recur. The range of vocabulary is limited and repetitive, which is characteristic of a Band 5.0 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The candidate attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('contributed almost 15 million jobs'), tense inconsistencies ('later fall sharply reported downward trend'), and awkward phrasing ('with the high peak success number touched 20 million'). Punctuation is also faulty, with comma splices and dangling modifiers. Because errors are frequent and occasionally cause confusion for the reader, the response meets the criteria for Band 5.0.

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

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