Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-22
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 number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US over the period from 1960 to 2020.
Overall, it is clear that Healthcare and retail experienced an upward trend, while Agriculture declined over the period. It is also noticeable that Manufacturing had the highest number of jobs at the beginning of the period, but gradually decreased from the year 1980.
In the beginning of the period, Healthcare stood at the last position approxmately 2-3million jobs. It then gradually increased to approx 5 million jobs in the year 1980. After this its continuously increased till the end of the 2020. In the same way jobs in retail sector also continued had an upward trend from 1960 to 2020.
Whereas, Manufacturing jobs were in the beginning of the period, from 1980 it showed a downward trend till 2020, approxmately 6 million jobs are less. While, agriculture is at the last position in all four sectors by the end of 2020.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student covers all parts of the task well by identifying the main trends and making appropriate comparisons across the four economic sectors. The overview accurately captures the upward trajectories of Healthcare and Retail alongside the decline in Agriculture and the shifting trend in Manufacturing. Key data points are generally reported correctly, such as Manufacturing starting highest at 15 million jobs in 1960 and Healthcare starting lowest at around 2 million. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and vague descriptions in the body paragraphs, such as 'approxmately 2-3million jobs' and incomplete sentence structures like 'Whereas, Manufacturing jobs were in the beginning of the period'. Overall, the response fulfills the requirements of Task 1 effectively, deserving a solid band score in this category.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overview paragraph, and then detailed body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In the beginning of the period', and 'Whereas' are used to guide the reader through the data. However, referencing and progression are occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing and structural breaks, such as 'After this its continuously increased till the end of the 2020' and 'In the same way jobs in retail sector also continued had an upward trend'. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but internal cohesion within sentences requires better control to reach a higher band.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a line graph, including terms such as 'illustrates', 'upward trend', 'gradually decreased', and 'economic sectors'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with varying degrees of success. There are several spelling and word-choice errors, notably 'approxmately' and awkward collocations like 'continued had an upward trend'. While these lexical slips do not impede overall communication, they prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as introductory subordinate clauses ('As the line graph illustrates...'). However, grammatical control is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in verb tenses, preposition usage, and sentence completeness, such as 'After this its continuously increased till the end of the 2020' (incorrect pronoun 'its' and awkward temporal phrase) and the fragmented sentence 'Whereas, Manufacturing jobs were in the beginning of the period...'. Despite these errors, meaning is generally clear, placing the response securely in the band 6 category.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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