Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The line chart illustrates the number of jobs in millions in the economy in four sectors in the US between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, it is clear that Retail had the highest level throughout the period. The most noticeable growth was in the healthcare sector it rose at the end of the period, while Agriculture remained at the lowest level throughout the period.

In 1960, the manufacturing sector had 15 million jobs and increased in numbers in 1980 by 20 million, but in 2020, it dipped in numbers nearly around 11 million of jobs. In comparison to Retail and Healthcare, healthcare seems to be the second-lowest level, but by the end of the period it increased rapidly by 15 million jobs, whereas in the field of Retail it was started by 5 millions of jobs, but at the end the figure was 15 million of jobs in the economy.

Turning to agriculture in 1980, it dipped down in numbers by 1 million whereas at the end it remains the lowest in figure by approximately 1.5 million jobs in the economy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student covers all parts of the task by reporting data for all four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. An overview is attempted, noting that Retail had the highest level and Agriculture the lowest, though the statement about healthcare rising at the end is slightly confused in expression. While key trends are identified, some of the data reporting contains inaccuracies or confusing phrasing, such as stating that manufacturing 'increased in numbers in 1980 by 20 million' (when it reached 20 million), and stating that healthcare 'increased rapidly by 15 million jobs' (when it reached 16 million). Despite these data interpretation issues, the main features and general comparisons are present, meeting the criteria for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is organized into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for the different sectors, providing a coherent overall arrangement. Logical progression is generally maintained, and basic cohesive devices such as 'In 1960', 'In comparison', and 'Turning to' are used to structure the text. However, referencing and cohesion are occasionally faulty or mechanical, notably in the second body paragraph where the transition between manufacturing, retail, and healthcare becomes dense and difficult to follow due to run-on phrasing. Paragraphing is used appropriately to group ideas, but the internal cohesion within paragraphs prevents a higher score.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student displays an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'sector', 'economy', 'manufacturing', 'retail', 'agriculture', and 'healthcare'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and phrasing, such as 'highest level' instead of 'highest number of jobs', 'dipped in numbers nearly around 11 million of jobs', and awkward numerical expressions like 'by 20 million' instead of 'to 20 million'. These lexical limitations and awkward collocations place the response firmly in Band 6.0, as vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points but lacks precision and flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, attempting complex forms with time clauses and comparative structures. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward syntactic formulations throughout the response, such as 'it rose at the end of the period' (run-on/comma splice tendency), 'it started by 5 millions of jobs', and 'at the end it remains the lowest' (tense inconsistency). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors in grammar and prepositions occur frequently, they rarely impede overall communication. This performance aligns well with the Band 6 descriptor for grammatical range and accuracy.

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