Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-24

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 line graph illustrates the number of employees in four different sectors in the United State between from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, the number of jobs in Manufacturing and Healthcare increased, while in contrast the jobs of Retail and Agriculture decresed.

for beginning, the jobs of Manufacturing in 1960 6 million and steadily increased over the 6 decade to approximately 16 million in 2020. The jobs of Retail about 3 million in1960 and steadily increased over 2 decades for 5 million and steadily increased 4 decades to reached about 16 million in 2020.

In contrast, the jobs of Manufacturing was 15 million in 1960 and dramatically increased 2 decades to reached 20 million, and steadily decreased over four decades about 13 million in 2020. While, the jobs of Agriculture was approximately 6 million

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response attempts to cover the main trends in the four economic sectors, but contains significant data inaccuracies and misreadings of the graph. For instance, the student states that Manufacturing started at 6 million and increased to 16 million, whereas the graph shows Manufacturing started at 15 million. Furthermore, the response is incomplete, cutting off mid-sentence with only 133 words, which fails the minimum 150-word requirement. Because of the under-length and substantial data errors that distort the information, Task Achievement cannot exceed Band 4.5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The writing attempts an overview and uses some basic cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'while in contrast', and 'In contrast'. However, the logical progression breaks down due to confusing data references, contradictory labelling of trends (e.g., mixing up Manufacturing and Healthcare data), and abrupt paragraphing. The response also cuts off abruptly at the end, meaning paragraphing and overall structure remain undeveloped. Cohesion is faulty and mechanical, aligning with a Band 5.0 descriptor.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student demonstrates a limited range of vocabulary with several spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'decresed' instead of 'decreased', and awkward phrasing like 'for beginning'. While there are attempts at topic-specific vocabulary ('sectors of the economy', 'employees'), repetition is common and errors in word form and spelling are noticeable throughout the text, occasionally causing confusion for the reader. This places the lexical performance firmly at Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The text displays a limited range of grammatical structures, relying heavily on simple past tense descriptions. There are frequent grammatical and structural errors, including missing prepositions, incorrect verb forms ('to reached' instead of 'to reach'), and incomplete sentences, notably the final sentence which ends abruptly ('While, the jobs of Agriculture was approximately'). Although some simple sentences are clear, the accumulation of errors and the failure to complete the text result in a Band 5.0 score for grammar.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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