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 graph illustrates the information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in us from 1960 to 2020
overall it is evident that manufracturing recorded highest figure whereas healthcare recorded the lowest figure followed by retail was relatively significant
intially ,in year 1960 healthcare was at 2 %while retail and agriculture stood same at 6% whereas manufacture was at 15 % . in the year 1980 manufacturing recorded highest at 20 % healthcare steadily rose at 5%while the agriculture decline at 4% followed by retail increased at 10 % number of jobs in four sector of economy in us
in the year 2000 agriculture was remain constant at 4% whereas manufacture was declined at 24% while retail at 15 % and healthcare at 11% , in the 2020 agriculture at 3% where as manufacturing fell at 14 % while retail and healthcare stood at 16 % number of jobs in four sector of economy in us
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to cover the main trends in the graph, such as mentioning that manufacturing recorded high figures and healthcare rose significantly. However, there are notable inaccuracies and confusions regarding the actual data points presented in the visual. For instance, the student states that healthcare was at 2% in 1960 and manufacturing was declined at 24% in 2000, which does not align with the provided chart (values are in millions of jobs, not percentages, and manufacturing in 2000 was around 17 million). Furthermore, repetitive trailing phrases like 'number of jobs in four sector of economy in us' indicate a lack of careful proofreading. While the overview is attempted, the overall response lacks precision and contains several data misinterpretations, corresponding to a Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response attempts a basic structure with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs representing different time periods. However, the organization is hindered by poor punctuation, a lack of sentence boundaries, and frequent mechanical errors in cohesion. Paragraphing is irregular, and the flow is disrupted by repetitive, disjointed fragments at the end of paragraphs. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and cohesive devices are either missing or misused (e.g., inappropriate use of transition words without proper clauses). There is no clear overall logical progression connecting the ideas smoothly. These features place the response firmly at Band 4.5, rounded to 5.0 based on the attempt to structure by time intervals.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student's vocabulary is very basic and repetitive. Words such as 'figure', 'recorded', 'rose', 'decline', and 'constant' are used repeatedly with limited variation. Furthermore, there is a fundamental misunderstanding of the unit of measurement, treating millions of jobs as percentages ('at 2 %', 'at 20 %'). Spelling errors are present, such as 'manufracturing' and 'intially'. Less common lexical items are not successfully utilised, and word choice is frequently inaccurate. This restricts the lexical score to a Band 4.5, rounded to 5.0 for providing a minimally adequate range to describe the chart's general topics.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5
The grammatical range is extremely limited, consisting mostly of simple and attempted complex sentences that are frequently faulty. There is a persistent lack of punctuation and capitalization throughout the text, making it read as a continuous run-on in places. Errors in tense, subject-verb agreement, and preposition usage are frequent ('agriculture was remain constant', 'manufacture was declined at 24%'). These persistent grammatical inaccuracies cause frequent difficulty for the reader and prevent the text from achieving a higher band. The control of grammar is weak, fitting the Band 4.5 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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