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 levels in four different sectors of the US economy from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, it is clear that the manufacturing industries had highest employment figures initially. In contrast retail and agriculture industries had lowest starting figures but they both end with a sharp boost in their employment throughout the period.

In 1960, manufacturing industry ranked highest among all other categories provided approximately 15 million jobs. However, this figure dropped gradually over the period in 2020. While, the agriculture industry had fewer positions which is just over 5 million in 1960 this figure is no more maintained or dropped marginally in 2020.

The retail industry began with just over 5 million job positions which climbed significantly from 1960 to 2000. However, this figure remained steady to its ending year 2020. As compared to health care industry beginning with lowest stats roundabout 0.3 million positions in 1960 which climbed sharply and touch to 15 million throughout the year 2020

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to cover the main trends in the line chart regarding the four economic sectors in the US from 1960 to 2020. However, there are several notable inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, the text states that retail and agriculture both end with a sharp boost, whereas agriculture actually declines significantly from 6 million to 2 million. Furthermore, the description of the healthcare industry states it begins at 'roundabout 0.3 million', which misreads the chart (it starts at 2 million). The overview is also somewhat contradictory, claiming retail and agriculture both had low starting figures and a sharp boost, missing the clear downward trend in agriculture. Consequently, this falls into Band 5 for partially addressing the task with some inaccurate data reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is divided into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overview, and then body paragraphs detailing the categories. Cohesive devices such as 'In 1960', 'However', and 'As compared to' are employed to guide the reader through the data. However, paragraphing is slightly unpolished, and the sequencing within sentences can be clunky, such as 'While, the agriculture industry had fewer positions which is just over 5 million in 1960 this figure is no more maintained'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and logical progression is somewhat hindered by imprecise reporting and abrupt transitions between sectors. This aligns well with the Band 6 descriptor for a coherent overall arrangement with occasional faulty cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with attempts at less common lexical items such as 'employment figures', 'ranked highest', and 'dropped marginally'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as writing 'number of levels' instead of 'number of jobs', and 'stats' instead of 'figures' or 'data'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but phrasing is sometimes unnatural (e.g., 'touch to 15 million'). The range is sufficient to convey basic meanings, but the inaccuracies in collocation and word choice place it firmly at Band 5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing subordinate clauses ('While, the agriculture industry had fewer positions which is just over 5 million...'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, featuring missing punctuation, run-on structures, and awkward phrasing. Examples include missing commas, missing articles, and tense confusion ('they both end with a sharp boost', 'this figure remained steady to its ending year'). Errors are frequent enough to cause occasional difficulty for the reader, matching the Band 5 descriptors where attempts at complex sentences are often faulty.

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