Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-23

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 illustrates the data of US economy in four sectors: manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare between 1960 and 2020. Overall, manufacturing was the highest in 1980, but it decline over the period. However, healthcare was the lowest in the begning and it reaches to the peak in 2020. In 1960, manufacturing has 15 million, it raised to 20 millions in 1980 and after that it decline to 13 million in 2020. Initially, healthcare begin with 2 million and it grew up to 16 million in 2020. In contrast, retail has 6 million jobs in the starting, it reaches to 10 million in 1980 and in 2000 it marked as 15 million and a slight increase in 2020. Moreover, agriculture has 6 million in 1960 and a significant decreace has been observed in 1980. It shows levelled off for 1980 and 2000. At the end, it was recorded as 3 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response covers all four economic sectors shown in the graph and attempts to report main trends and comparisons, such as noting that manufacturing peaked in 1980 while healthcare rose significantly to become highest by 2020. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the data (e.g., stating that agriculture 'showed levelled off for 1980 and 2000' when it dropped and then stayed constant, or minor misreadings of axis values). The overview is basic, consisting of two isolated sentences rather than a fully integrated summary of key trends. Ideas are present but under-developed, placing this securely at Band 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The essay has a basic overall arrangement, starting with an introductory sentence, a brief overview, and subsequent sentences detailing individual sector trajectories. However, paragraphing is extremely poor; the entire body of the response is crammed into a single, massive block of text instead of being divided logically by sector or time period. Cohesive devices are repetitive and sometimes awkward (e.g., 'Initially', 'In contrast', 'Moreover', 'At the end'). Referencing is occasionally unclear, which impedes smooth progression and impacts the overall structural clarity.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student uses an adequate vocabulary range to describe basic trends and figures, such as 'decline', 'peak', 'grow up', and 'significant decrease'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations throughout the text, such as 'it decline over the period' (tense/form error), 'begning' (spelling), 'raises' or 'raised' instead of 'rose', and 'it reaches to the peak'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited accuracy. These vocabulary errors cause occasional strain for the reader, fitting the Band 5.0 profile.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The text displays a limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple sentences and basic past-tense constructions (e.g., 'manufacturing has 15 million, it raised to...'). Attempts at complex structures are often faulty, and there are frequent basic errors involving verb tenses, subject-verb agreement ('manufacturing has 15 million', 'retail has 6 million'), and missing prepositions. Punctuation is also weak, with multiple comma splices linking independent clauses. These errors frequently cause difficulty or hesitation for the reader.

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