Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-19

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 line graph illustrates the number of jobs in four different sectors of the US economy between 1960 and 2020. And the sectors are manufacturing, retail, agriculture, healthcare.

Overall, manufacturing experienced a rise followed by a decline, while retail and healthcare showed overall growth. In contrast, agriculture decreased considerably over the period. Healthcare recorded the most significant increase.

In manufacturing job was on peak from 1960 it will be 15 millions and in 1980 it goes upward at 20 millions. And from 1980 to 2020 in will be decreasing. In retail job in 1960 it will be on 6 millions and goes upto 15 millions rapidly till 2000 but from 2000 to 2020 it will be sighlthy move to upwards to 16 millions.

In agriculture job it will be 6 millions in 1960 but from 1960 to 1980 it decreasing to 3 millions in 1980 and from 1980 to 2000 it will be constant then from 2000 to 2020 in decreasing to 2 millions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers all four sectors mentioned in the graph and attempts to report key features and comparisons. However, there are significant omissions and inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, the student fails to mention healthcare completely in the body paragraphs, despite acknowledging it in the overview ('Healthcare recorded the most significant increase'). Furthermore, the data reporting for manufacturing ('in 1960 it will be 15 millions and in 1980 it goes upward at 20 millions') and retail contains awkward phrasing, and the response ends abruptly after agriculture, omitting the final data points for healthcare entirely. Because key data is missing from the body, the task is only partially addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay has a basic structure, including an introduction with an overview paragraph followed by separate body paragraphs for individual sectors. However, progression is disrupted by the omission of a body paragraph for healthcare. Cohesive devices are repetitive and basic (e.g., 'and from', 'then from'), and referencing is sometimes unclear or mechanical. Paragraphing is attempted, but the overall logical flow suffers because the body structure does not mirror the balanced overview provided at the beginning.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for a basic description of trends, utilizing words such as 'rise', 'decline', 'growth', 'increase', and 'constant'. However, there is a lack of flexibility, and precision is hindered by frequent awkward word choices and phrasing, such as 'job was on peak' instead of 'employment peaked' or 'the number of jobs peaked', and 'sighlthy move to upwards'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar and verb tenses is weak. There are persistent errors in tense selection, such as mixing past data with future/modal constructions ('it will be 15 millions', 'in will be decreasing', 'it will be on 6 millions'). Punctuation and sentence boundaries also show instability. While these errors do not completely obscure the intended meaning, they occur frequently and impede smooth reading.

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.