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 given line chart illustrates job availability in four different sectors of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, it was shown from the chart that jobs in the manufacturing sector were in the highest demand, whereas the fewest people were in agricultural work. However, jobs in retail and healthcare showed lowest opportunity in beginning but, popularity were observed in later period.

In the manufacturing sector, over 15 million employment opportunities were observed in 1960 followed by 20 million in 1980. However, these jobs went down steadily till 2020 reaching around 13 million. On the other hand retail, and agriculture jobs were 2 million and 6 million respectively. This rapid jump was observed and huge surge identified in these two sectors which were reaching around 16 million till 2020.

Moreover, in the healthcare sector 6 million jobs were accessible in 1960 which were dramatically decreased from 1960 to 1980 and reached to around 4 million and remained stable till 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to cover the main trends in the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. However, there are significant factual inaccuracies regarding the visual data. For instance, the text states that healthcare jobs 'dramatically decreased from 1960 to 1980 and reached to around 4 million and remained stable', whereas the graph actually shows healthcare rising from 2 million in 1960 to 5 million in 1980. Similarly, the description of agriculture and retail is confused, grouping them together incorrectly ('This rapid jump was observed and huge surge identified in these two sectors which were reaching around 16 million'), even though agriculture actually declined from 6 million to 2 million. Due to these data misinterpretations and inaccurate reporting of key figures, the response falls into the Band 5 descriptor for partially addressing the task with under-developed and inaccurate feature reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is divided into a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs, providing a basic structural framework. However, overall progression is hindered by confusing logical links and referencing errors. For example, the overview mentions that retail and healthcare 'showed lowest opportunity in beginning but, popularity were observed in later period', but the body paragraphs do not clearly track this progression. Additionally, cohesive devices are sometimes awkwardly placed or inaccurate, such as using 'On the other hand retail, and agriculture jobs were 2 million and 6 million respectively' where the data points are mismatched with the categories. Paragraphing is present, but internal cohesion and referencing are faulty, placing this response firmly in Band 5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is relatively limited and repetitive, with frequent word-choice errors that occasionally impede smooth reading. Examples include 'job availability', 'fewest people were in agricultural work', and 'lowest opportunity in beginning'. The student attempts some collocation and less common items ('employment opportunities', 'stable'), but awkward phrasing such as 'popularity were observed in later period' and 'huge surge identified in these two sectors' reflects a lack of precision. There are also issues with word form (e.g., using 'popularity' as a noun phrase modifier or complement incorrectly). This demonstrates a limited range of vocabulary appropriate for Band 5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but attempts at complex structures are frequently faulty. Examples of grammatical errors include missing articles ('On the other hand retail'), incorrect preposition use ('reached to around'), and subject-verb agreement issues ('popularity were observed'). Passive voice constructions are awkwardly applied ('were observed', 'were accessible'). These persistent errors cause some difficulty for the reader, aligning with the Band 5 descriptor where frequent errors occur and control of grammar is inconsistent.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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