Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)
The graph below has a fluctuating ratio about the number of jobs in four sector of economy in the US between [redacted phone]. Sectors are named: Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare. However, jobs vary in the numbers from 0-25 million.
The Retail and Healthcare sector has adapted a positive change,whereas, the other two have a declining period.The retail sector has rised from 1960 to 2020,as it was 7 million in 1960 and 16 million in 2020. Additionally, the healthcare sector has also increased the number of jobs from [redacted phone]. Seen in graph as it was, 2.5 million in 1960 and 16 million at 2020 proved the highest positive ratio was obtained in healthcare sector.
On the other hand, manufacturing and agriculture has been recoginzed as a declining ratio in the number of jobs. As manufacturing started from 15 million is 1960,20 million in 1980( most highest number of jobs in graph) but decreased to 13 million in 2020. Whereas, the agriculture sectore kept decreasing from [redacted phone] as,7 million in 1960, 3 million in [redacted phone] and 2 million in 2020.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response attempts to cover the main features of the graph, reporting trends across the four economic sectors. However, there are several data inaccuracies and unsupported generalisations. For instance, the student states that the retail sector was 7 million in 1960 (actually 6 million) and that healthcare started at 1060 (a typo for 1960). Agriculture is incorrectly stated as 7 million in 1960 instead of 6 million. While an overview is attempted, the selection of data points contains noticeable errors. The trends are generally identified, but the lack of precise data reporting pulls the score down into the Band 5.0 range.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organised into three paragraphs, including an introduction and two body paragraphs covering the different sectoral trends. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed, and cohesive devices are awkwardly used or mechanically deployed, such as 'The graph below has a fluctuating ratio' and 'Seen in graph as it was'. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion within sentences is frequently faulty, resulting in a lack of smooth flow. This aligns best with the Band 5.0 descriptors for organisation and cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is somewhat limited and repetitive, with noticeable word choice and collocation errors (e.g., 'fluctuating ratio' instead of 'fluctuating trend', 'sector of economy', 'adapted a positive change', 'rised' instead of 'rose', and 'most highest'). There are also spelling and typographic errors like 'recoginzed' and 'sectore'. These errors occasionally impede smooth reading, though the core meaning remains partially accessible. This performance is characteristic of Band 5.0 for lexical resource.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences with frequent structural errors. Examples include 'The Retail and Healthcare sector has adapted a positive change,whereas, the other two have a declining period' and 'As manufacturing started from 15 million is 1960,20 million in 1980... but decreased'. Punctuation errors, missing prepositions, and tense inconsistencies are prevalent throughout the text. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader, fitting the Band 5.0 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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