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 graph illustrates information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 to 2020.

Overall, while retail and healthcare show an increase trend, manufacturing and agriculture show a decrease pattern.

In the year 1960 heathcare provider yields a 3 million jobs opportunity which show a gradual increase all throughout the 70 years that gives a 16 million jobs in year 2020. Retail sector with a 6 million jobs in the 1960 slightly increase in 1980 5 million jobs to 15 million jobs 200 end up 1 million additonal job in 2020.

On the other hand job sector agriculture shows a different pattern as the time goes by it decrease gradually from 6 million same as the retail sector, it falls to by half in 2020 by 3 million jobs. Manufacturing sector shows a different pattern from 15 million job from year 1960 increase to 20 million then show a decrease amount to 13 million jobs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers all four sectors shown in the graph and attempts to highlight the main trends, satisfying the basic requirements of Task 1. An overview is present, noting that retail and healthcare increased while manufacturing and agriculture decreased. However, there are several inaccurate data points and awkward phrasings that detract from the accuracy of the report. For instance, the writer states that healthcare started at 3 million in 1960 (it was closer to 2 million) and claims retail slightly increased in 1980 '5 million jobs to 15 million jobs 200', which contains confusing syntax and figures that do not align precisely with the visual data. Agriculture is also misstated as falling to 3 million in 2020 when the graph indicates around 2 million. Consequently, the task achievement is limited by these data inaccuracies.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The text is organised into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs covering the economic sectors. There is an attempt at logical sequencing, as the writer groups the growing sectors together and contrasts them with the declining ones using transitional phrases like 'On the other hand'. However, the progression within paragraphs is disrupted by poor sentence structure, missing punctuation, and mechanical or absent cohesive devices. For example, sentences run together without clear boundaries, such as 'Retail sector with a 6 million jobs in the 1960 slightly increase in 1980 5 million jobs to 15 million jobs 200 end up 1 million additonal job in 2020.' This makes the overall flow disjointed and difficult to follow in places.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally basic and repetitive, relying heavily on words like 'jobs', 'sector', 'pattern', and 'increase'. There are noticeable lexical and collocational errors throughout the response, such as 'increase trend' instead of 'upward trend', 'decrease pattern', and 'heathcare provider' instead of 'healthcare sector'. Furthermore, spelling and word-form errors occur, including 'additonal' and 'decrease' used where a past tense or noun form is required. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the general topic of economic employment, the frequent errors and limited range restrict the score to this band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response displays a very limited range of grammatical structures. Most sentences are simple or attempt complex forms that result in severe structural errors, missing verbs, and fragmented clauses. Examples of severe grammatical breakdown include 'In the year 1960 heathcare provider yields a 3 million jobs opportunity which show a gradual increase all throughout the 70 years that gives a 16 million jobs in year 2020' and 'as the time goes by it decrease gradually'. Subject-verb agreement is frequently violated, verb tenses shift inappropriately, and punctuation is largely neglected, leading to run-on sentences that impede comprehension. These frequent errors place the response firmly in band 5.

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