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 illustrate the information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 to 2020. Four Sectors are Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare. The manufacturing graph shows that in 1960 his economy is around 15 Million but over the time is increased to 20 Million in 1980 but after some time the economy is decreased to around 17 Million in addition now economy is 12 Million. Retail Sector Graph illustrate that in 1960 his economy is around 6 Million but in 1980 it increased from 6 Million to 10 Million and over the time the economy of retail sector increased to 15 Million. Graph illustrate that agriculture sector in 1960 is quite good it's economy is 6 Million but over the time it's economy decreased to 3 Million in 2026 while the healthcare sector grow from 3 Million to 17 Million over the time. As graph shows in 19060 the economy of Healthcare sector is 3 Million but over the time it's increased to 5 Million in 1980, 11 Million in 2000 and 17 Million in 2026.

So, the overview of this graph is the manufacturing sector and healthcare sector grow over the time.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to report the main features of the four economic sectors, mentioning figures for Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture, and Healthcare. However, there are numerous inaccuracies in data reporting (e.g., stating healthcare started at 3 million in 1960 and reached 17 million in 2026, when the graph shows 2 million and 2020 respectively). The overview is placed at the very end and is extremely brief, stating only that manufacturing and healthcare grew over time, which misses key contrasts with agriculture and retail. Ideas are presented but lack full development and precise data grounding. This performance aligns with Band 5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response lacks proper paragraphing, presented instead as one single block of text. Cohesive devices are basic and repetitive, relying heavily on phrases like 'over the time' and 'Graph illustrate that'. There is an overall lack of logical progression and smooth transitions between the different sectors. Referencing is also confusing at times, such as using 'his economy' to describe economic sectors. While the information follows the order of the chart, the lack of structured paragraphs and weak cohesion restricts the score to Band 4.5, rounded to 5.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is very repetitive, with constant reuse of words like 'economy', 'sector', 'illustrate', 'graph', and 'million'. There are odd lexical choices, such as referring to a sector's job count as 'his economy' or describing agriculture in 1960 as 'quite good'. Spelling and word-form errors occur, such as 'illustrate' instead of 'illustrates' and 'grow' instead of 'grew'. The range of vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate for the task, fitting the Band 5 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The student uses a very limited range of grammatical structures, relying mostly on simple or faulty complex sentences. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('The graph illustrate', 'sector ... is quite good'), tense inconsistencies ('is increased', 'is decreased', 'grow'), and prepositions ('between 1960 to 2020'). Punctuation is also weak, with run-on sentences joined by conjunctions rather than proper stops or clauses. These frequent errors cause difficulty for the reader and place the response firmly in Band 5.

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