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 line chart illustrates data regarding jobs qunatities in relevant four departments i.e Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare in USA from 1960 to 2020.
Overall the Line chart showed that jobs in Manufacturing and Agriculture sectors were noteably decreased, while increased in numbers in healthcare and retails.
The jobs in Manufacturing department were 15 millions in 1960 and in 1980 these were at 20 million but after that these grdually decreased to almost 13 millions in 2020. In the same way career opportunities in Agriculture were almost at 6 millions in 1960 and these were drop to about 2 millions from 1980 to 2020.
Contrarily, a sharp rise were seen in Helathcare jobs in which the jobs were at al most 2 millions and then marginally rised after 1980 from 5 millions to 16 millions in 2020, While in retails these jobs were started from almost 6 millions and sharply rised to 15 millions in 2000 before reaching to 16 millions in 2020
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully identifies the main trends and makes relevant comparisons between the four sectors over the 60-year period. The overview statement captures the general pattern that manufacturing and agriculture declined while healthcare and retail increased. Key data points are cited, such as manufacturing starting at 15 million in 1960, peaking at 20 million in 1980, and dropping to 13 million in 2020. However, there are minor inaccuracies in reading the data, such as stating that healthcare jobs started at almost 2 million (the chart shows exactly 2 million) and minor typographical errors in numbers (e.g., "qunatities"). Nevertheless, all parts of the task are addressed adequately, fulfilling the requirements for a Band 6.5 or solid Band 6 performance.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the specific sectors. There is a clear overall progression of ideas, moving from general trends to specific chronological data. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas, such as "Overall", "Contrarily", and "In the same way". However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical, as seen in awkward transitions like "after that these grdually decreased" and run-on sentences lacking appropriate punctuation. Paragraphing is used sufficiently, but internal cohesion within sentences could be smoother to achieve a higher band.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to economic sectors ("Manufacturing", "Retail", "Agriculture", "Healthcare") and trend language ("decreased", "sharp rise", "gradually decreased"). However, there are several noticeable spelling errors ("qunatities", "noteably", "grdually", "Helathcare", "rised") and awkward lexical choices ("jobs qunatities", "departments" instead of sectors). These vocabulary and spelling errors occasionally draw attention, but they do not impede overall communication, placing the response firmly in the Band 6 category.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using conjunctions and relative clauses. There is good control of basic structures, but errors in grammar and punctuation are frequent. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ("Line chart showed that... were noteably decreased"), tense inconsistencies, and missing punctuation resulting in run-on sentences, such as the final sentence which strings multiple clauses together without proper separation. Despite these errors, the meaning remains mostly clear to the reader, aligning with the Band 5.5 to 6 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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