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 given line chart illustrates how job opportunities were available in four sectors of the economy in the US over a period of 60 years from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, the highest employment opportunities were identified in the manufacturing sector. People's interest in retail and healthcare jobs increased significantly over time. However, lowest employment rate observed in agriculture stream.

In 1960, 15 million jobs were available in manufacturing facilities which rose dramatically by 20 million in 1980. From 1980 to 2020 steady decline observed in this sector. whereas 7 million jobs were dropped till 2020. Few people took jobs in retail and healthcare industries initially which were 2 million and 6 million respectively. However, employment rose dramatically and reached to 16 million till 2020.

Moreover, there was similar interest among people in agriculture jobs as retail industries which were around 6 million in 1960. There was a reduction in agriculture jobs of 4 million from 1960 to 1980. From 1980 to 2020 the jobs remained stable around 4 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task well by reporting the main features of the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. The overview successfully highlights the dominance of manufacturing and the growth in retail and healthcare. However, there are a few minor data inaccuracies in the body paragraphs; for example, the student states that manufacturing rose to 20 million in 1980 and then '7 million jobs were dropped till 2020' (reaching 13 million, which is correct, but the phrasing is slightly imprecise). Furthermore, the student claims agriculture jobs remained stable around 4 million from 1980 to 2020, whereas the chart shows them declining from 3 million down to 2 million. Despite these minor discrepancies, key trends and comparisons are generally well reported, earning a solid Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement with a logical division into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'Moreover'. However, some cohesive links and transitions are a bit mechanical or faulty, as seen in the phrase 'whereas 7 million jobs were dropped' or 'as retail industries'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different sectors, but referencing and logical progression within sentences occasionally lack fluidity. Overall, the organizational structure meets the criteria for Band 6.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'employment opportunities', 'sector', 'dramatically', and 'steady decline'. However, there are noticeable lexical and collocation errors throughout the response. For instance, the opening sentence states 'how job opportunities were available' instead of 'the number of jobs available', and the phrase 'lowest employment rate observed in agriculture stream' contains grammatical and lexical awkwardness. Less common vocabulary items are attempted but lack precision. Therefore, a Band 6 is appropriate for this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and time clauses (e.g., 'The given line chart illustrates how...'). However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text. Examples include 'lowest employment rate observed' (missing a copular verb), 'rose dramatically by 20 million' (preposition misuse, as it rose *to* 20 million), and 'reached to 16 million' (unnecessary preposition). Punctuation and article errors also occur occasionally. Because these errors do not severely impede communication and a mix of structures is attempted, a Band 6 is awarded.

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