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 gives data about the number of jobs in various sctors ( Manafacturing, Retail, Agriculture, Healthcare ) of the economy in the US fro 1960 to 2020.

Overall, in the healthcare and the retail sectors jobs were increased siginificantly over the time, however, manafacturing and agricultural sector had experienced a modest decline.

In 1960, the highest occupying sector was manafaturing which occupied 15 million jobs, but after experiencing a sudden increase to 20 million it's figure decreased approximately to 13 million in 2020. In contrast, there were about 5.5 million jobs in agriculture sector, but in 1980, it slightly decreased to 3 million approximately. After that, there was no significant change and in 2020, the numbers for jobs were roughly 2 million.

On the other hand,in 1960, there were about 3 million of jobs in healthcare sector, these numbers slightly inclined up to 5 million in 1980. Later on, this sector dramatically rose in 2000 and 2020, which was approximately 11 million and 15 million respectively. Furthermore, about 5 miilion of job were in retail sector which rose to 15 million in 2000. Moreover, after 2000 it slightly rise up to 16 million roughly in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully covers all four sectors shown in the graph and reports the main trends and key figures. An overview is provided, noting the upward trends in healthcare and retail alongside the declines in manufacturing and agriculture. Most figures are reported accurately, such as manufacturing starting at 15 million in 1960 and retail reaching 16 million by 2020. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in data reading, such as stating that the healthcare sector started at 3 million in 1960 when the graph indicates it was closer to 2 million. Additionally, some descriptions could be extended with more direct comparisons between the sectors. Overall, the task is addressed competently, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0, and is placed at Band 6.5 due to minor inaccuracies in data reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is arranged coherently with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and body paragraphs dedicated to contrasting economic sectors. Logical progression is evident as the writer moves chronologically from 1960 through 1980 and 2000 to 2020. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader, such as 'Overall', 'In contrast', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore'. However, paragraphing is somewhat cramped, with the second body paragraph containing multiple ideas that could be better separated. Additionally, mechanical spacing errors (such as missing spaces after commas, e.g., 'other hand,in') detract slightly from the overall flow. Cohesion is functional and appropriate overall, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptor.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting less common items such as 'significantly', 'dramatically', and 'modest decline'. However, there are several spelling errors and incorrect word forms present throughout the text, including 'sctors' instead of sectors, 'Manafacturing' (misspelled multiple times as manafaturing or manafacturing), 'siginificantly', 'rise' instead of rose, and 'miilion'. Furthermore, collocation is occasionally awkward, such as 'highest occupying sector'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main features of the graph, the numerous spelling mistakes and lexical slips prevent the response from achieving a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases (e.g., 'In 1960, the highest occupying sector was...'). There are, however, several grammatical errors and punctuation issues, such as tense inconsistencies ('jobs were increased', 'sector had experienced', 'it's figure' instead of its figure), missing articles ('in agriculture sector'), and run-on structures. Despite these errors, communication is rarely impeded, and the basic meaning of the data remains clear. The grammatical control reflects the characteristics of Band 6, featuring a mixture of error-free sentences and frequent minor errors.

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