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 line chart illustrates the umber of jobs in four different sectors of US contributing to economy from 1960 to 2020. Data has been calibrated in millions.

Overall, the number of jobs declined in manufacturing and healtcare center through out the time, while the figure rose in retail and agriculture sector. the jobs remained lowest in health care among all given sectores after 1980.

To initiate with, the number of jobs were highly engaged in manufacturing sector in 1960 which was at 15 millions. however, the number began declining till 2020 at 14 millions, after a significant increase in 1980 at 20 millions. whereas, the number of job were least in healthcare sector which was around 2 millions in 1960 but the figure stood at top of the chart, at almost 15 millions, after a graduall incline till 2020.

Turning to remaining sectors, in 1960, the number of jobs stood similar in both sectors, retailing and agriculter sector, at above 5 millions. the figure started rising in retail sector and reached at almost 15 millions at the end. whereas, the number of job was decreasing by the year 2020 and dropped at on 2 millions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The student attempts to cover all four sectors of the economy shown in the line chart. However, there are notable factual inaccuracies regarding the data trends and final figures. For instance, the student states that manufacturing and healthcare declined throughout the time, whereas healthcare actually experienced a dramatic rise from 2 million in 1960 to 16 million in 2020. Furthermore, the overview incorrectly claims that the number of jobs in healthcare remained the lowest among all sectors after 1980, when in fact healthcare surpassed manufacturing and agriculture significantly. There are also specific misreadings of the data points in the body paragraphs, such as stating manufacturing ended at 14 millions (actual is 13 millions). While an overall summary and main features are attempted, these data misinterpretations prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is divided into an introduction, an overall summary, and two body paragraphs, representing a logical structure for an Academic Task 1 response. Cohesive devices and transition markers are used, such as 'Overall', 'To initiate with', and 'Turning to remaining sectors'. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, the phrase 'whereas, the number of job were least in healthcare sector...' awkwardly connects clauses, and the paragraphing mixes different trends without fully clear progression. Paragraph breaks are present, but internal logical links occasionally confuse the relationship between data points.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range suitable for describing basic trends, utilizing terms such as 'declined', 'rose', 'significant increase', and 'gradual incline'. However, there are numerous lexical and spelling errors throughout the text, including 'umber' instead of 'number', 'healtcare' instead of 'healthcare', 'sectores' instead of 'sectors', 'agriculter' instead of 'agriculture', and 'retailing' versus 'retail'. These errors, combined with unnatural word choices such as 'jobs were highly engaged in', show limited control over less common vocabulary and affect precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and introductory transitional phrases. However, grammatical and punctuation accuracy is weak, with frequent errors that occasionally impede smooth reading. Examples include subject-verb agreement errors ('the number of jobs were...'), incorrect prepositions ('declining till 2020 at 14 millions'), and awkward punctuation like lowercase letters at the beginning of sentences following periods (e.g., '. however' and '. the figure'). These recurring errors place the response firmly in the Band 5 category for grammar.

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