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 provides data about the number of jobs in four sectors namely manufacturing, retail, agriculture, healthcare of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020.

It is readly apparent from the graph that in 1960 the Retail and healthcare sector jobs were nearly 6 and 4 million respectively. the retail jobs was grew gradually from 1960 to 2000 After that 2000 no of job of retail is crossed over the manufacturing jobs and slightly increased reached at the peak that was around 16 million moving a head on healthcare job Following 1960, healthcare employment drastically rose, from just 2 million to approximately 16 million in 2020.

further the agriculture and manufacturing jobs were around 6 million and 15 million in 1960 respectively. after that manufacturing jobs moderately increased with 20 million. then it considerably dropped and reached in approx 14 million . lastly after 1960 agriculture jobs was gradually fell up to 1980 with approx 6 million after that it remained static till 2000 later it inconsiderably decline and reched the approx 2 million in 2020 respectively .

Overall, manufacturing was the largest employer at the beginning of the period, but its figure declined considerably after reaching a peak in 1980. In contrast, employment in healthcare and retail generally increased. Agriculture showed a downward trend overall, despite a small rise towards the end of the period.

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AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of the four sectors across the given time period. An overview is successfully provided at the end of the response, outlining the general trends such as the decline in manufacturing and the growth in healthcare and retail. Key data points, such as manufacturing starting at 15 million and peaking at 20 million in 1980, are appropriately reported, and comparisons are made. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in data reading, such as stating that retail and healthcare jobs were 'nearly 6 and 4 million respectively' in 1960 (healthcare was actually around 2 million), and minor confusion regarding the crossover points. Nevertheless, the main trends and data comparisons satisfy the requirements for a Band 6.5, leaning towards Band 6.0 due to some imprecise data reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organised into distinct paragraphs, including an introduction, body paragraphs for different sectors, and a concluding overview. However, the internal cohesion within paragraphs is frequently faulty and mechanical. Sentences are often clumsily linked, with abrupt transitions such as 'After that 2000 no of job of retail is crossed over' and 'further the agriculture and manufacturing jobs'. Punctuation is also problematic, with missing capitalization and periods placed awkwardly (e.g., lowercase starts for sentences and an orphan period at the very end). While there is an overall logical arrangement, the lack of smooth cohesive devices and poor punctuation control keep this criterion at a Band 5.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms related to economic sectors ('manufacturing', 'retail', 'agriculture', 'healthcare') and trend language ('gradually', 'peaked', 'downward trend', 'fluctuate' implied). However, there are noticeable lexical errors, awkward word choices, and typos throughout the text, such as 'readly apparent', 'no of job', 'inconsiderably decline', and 'reched'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with varying degrees of accuracy. The lexical range is sufficient to convey the main message, but frequent slips in word formation and spelling place it firmly in the Band 5.5 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but grammatical accuracy is weak. There are frequent errors in verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions, such as 'the retail jobs was grew gradually', 'reached in approx 14 million', and 'agriculture jobs was gradually fell up to 1980'. Punctuation and capitalization are poorly controlled, with numerous sentences starting without capital letters and stray punctuation marks. Although the meaning can generally be deciphered, the high frequency of grammatical errors and lack of control over complex structures prevent the response from achieving a higher band, making Band 5.0 an appropriate score.

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