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 graph compares the number of jobs in US in manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare, over a period of 7 decades, from 1960 to 2020.
Overall, the number of jobs in manufacturing sector declined over the period, while retail prices and healthcare center experienced steady increases. Meanwhile, agriculture department mostly remained stable.
Over the following years, in 1980, the employment rate in manufacturing were considerable high, at just over 20 millions across all the four sectors in US. This figure gradually decreased over the following decades, ending at approximately 13 millions, by the end of the period, 2020. The figures for retail prices and healthcare followed a different pattern, job opportunities rose significantly during final years, reaching a peak of around 15 to 16 millions in 2020s.
However, the number of jobs in agriculture sector remained relatively consistent throughout the period, starting at roughly 6 millions by 1960 and reduced slightly to around 3 millions in 2020s.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by selecting, reporting, and comparing the main features of the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. An overview is provided, noting the general downward trend in manufacturing and upward trends in retail and healthcare, while agriculture remained stable. However, there are some minor lapses in data interpretation and terminology, such as referring to 'retail prices' and 'healthcare center' instead of job sectors, and mischaracterising retail as having risen 'during final years' when it grew steadily across the period. Despite these slight lexical confusions regarding the data labels, the key trends and figures are generally well-reported. Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is arranged logically into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing specific sector trends. Information flows reasonably well with standard sequencing. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas, such as 'Overall', 'Meanwhile', 'Over the following years', and 'However'. Paragraphing is appropriate, with each paragraph serving a distinct function in structuring the report. Referencing is mostly clear, though occasional misuse of terms slightly obscures the logical links between categories. Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate vocabulary range for the task, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'substantially', 'fluctuations', or descriptive verbs like 'declined' and 'stabilised'. However, there are notable word-choice errors that detract from precision, such as writing 'retail prices' instead of 'retail jobs', 'agriculture department' instead of 'sector', and 'considerable high'. Spelling is generally accurate, but inappropriate collocation and vocabulary selection limit the score to a 5.5. Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating introductory clauses and time markers ('over a period of 7 decades, from 1960 to 2020'). There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('manufacturing were considerable high', 'reduced slightly') and prepositional errors ('jobs in US'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from achieving a higher band. Band 5.5.
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