Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The line graph illustrates the information regarding the number of jobs in four areas of economy in US between 1960 and 2000.

Overall, the highest number of jobs were acquired in the manufacturing sector throughout the period. However, people were less inclined towards the agriculture sector as time passed by.

To begin with, manufacturing sector remained almost at peak over the 60 years. In 1960, 15 million jobs were taken in the manufacturing department, and it spiked to 20 million in 1980. After that, it started declining steadily, and almost 13 million people acquired manufacturing as their career. Meanwhile, there were approximately 6 million people were in the agriculture sector in 1960. It started declining in a regular pace, and after 20 years it remained around 2 millions. After that, it contributed to the same figure overall.

Further analyzing the data, retail and healthcare sector both started with the lowest number of individuals in 1960. Both started increasing as time passed and had similar number of jobians in 2020. Retail started with the similar number of jobs as of agriculture which is around 6 million. But, it began to rise smoothly and finally reached at it peak in 2020 which is arounf 16 million job. As of healthcare, it started with the least number of jobs among four sectors. Starting with 3 million jobs in 1960, like retail sector, it started rising and reached at its highest point in 2020 which is 16 million jobs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features, trends, and comparisons of the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the dominant status of manufacturing and the decline in agriculture. Key data points are correctly cited, such as manufacturing reaching 20 million in 1980 and healthcare/retail hitting 16 million in 2020. However, there is a minor error in the timeframe stated in the introduction, where the student writes 'between 1960 and 2000' instead of 2020. Despite this small oversight, the overall selection and reporting of data meet the requirements for a Band 6.5 to 7.0, and the response is well-supported with relevant figures.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organised into four distinct paragraphs, featuring an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing specific sectors. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'To begin with', 'Meanwhile', and 'Further analyzing the data' are used to guide the reader through the information. However, some referencing and transitional links are slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as starting multiple sentences with 'It started' or 'Both started'. Paragraphing is used appropriately, resulting in a clear overall progression that aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range to communicate the trends effectively, using terms such as 'declining steadily', 'spiked', and 'smoothly'. However, there are notable lexical errors and awkward word choices throughout the text, such as 'number of jobians', 'at it peak', and 'arounf 16 million job'. While less common vocabulary is attempted, these inaccuracies in word formation and spelling limit the score. Nevertheless, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main message without causing severe communication breakdown.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and subordinate structures. There are several grammatical errors present, particularly with verb forms, prepositions, and agreement, such as 'there were approximately 6 million people were in the agriculture sector' and 'retail and healthcare sector both started'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but frequent minor errors in grammar and awkward phrasing persist, placing the writing firmly in the Band 6 category.

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