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)
In the following displayed Graph about four sectors of economy from 1960- 2020, We can see that Healthcare sector had not many jobs and this sector was very limited but there is any interesting thing that is sector gradually improved by time and stood highest number of jobs In US in 2022 compared to other sectors. Retail sector was a bit better than healthcare at that time and it also improved gradually and is consistent in number of jobs since 2000s. The Agricultural sector was doing same as retail but unfortunately we can see it declining and has still the least number of jobs till 2020, so this clearly means agriculture sector was and still very weak till now. At last Manufacturing sector had comparatively good number of jobs even in 1960s, It reached its peak jn 1980 then declined a bit after 2000s and till 2020 but in comparison to other sectors Manufacturing sector is doing good.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to address the prompt by describing the trends for the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. However, the response contains several inaccuracies and vague reporting. For example, the writer states that the healthcare sector had the highest number of jobs in '2022' (the graph ends in 2020) and that retail was 'doing same as retail' for agriculture. The overview is weak, lacking a clear summary of the overall trends, and data points are sometimes misread or imprecise. The response is limited in its development and touches Band 5 standards for Task Achievement due to incomplete and partially inaccurate coverage of the visual data.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is written as a single dense paragraph rather than structured paragraphs with an introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. This lack of proper paragraphing heavily impacts overall coherence. Cohesive devices are basic and repetitive, relying heavily on simple conjunctions like 'and' or time markers like 'at that time'. Progression is difficult to follow because ideas flow into one another without clear logical signposting. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'that is sector' and 'doing same as retail'. This places the response firmly at Band 4.5 to 5.0 for Coherence and Cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive ('improved gradually', 'doing good', 'good number of jobs'). There are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as referring to the year 2022 (which is not on the graph), writing 'any interesting thing that is sector', and stating the agriculture sector 'was doing same as retail'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success or awkward phrasing. While the reader can generally follow the intended meaning, the restricted range and frequent lexical inaccuracies keep this criterion at a Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control is weak. Run-on sentences are common, created by joining multiple independent clauses with commas instead of proper punctuation or conjunctions (e.g., 'Retail sector was a bit better than healthcare at that time and it also improved gradually and is consistent in number of jobs since 2000s'). There are frequent errors in tense consistency (shifting between past and present) and preposition usage. These errors cause some difficulty for the reader, matching the Band 5 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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