Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
The line graph illustrates the number of employees in four different sectors in the United States between 1960 to 2020.
Overall, the number of jobs in Manufacturing and Healthcare increased, while in contrast the number of jobs of Retail and Agriculture decreased.
To begin, the number of jobs of Healthcare increased steadily approximately three million in 1960 to 16 miilion over six decades to approximately sixteen million in 2020. The jobs of Retail about three million in 1960 and steadily increased over two decades for 5 million and steadily increased four decades to reached about sixteen million in 2020.
In contrast, the number of jobs in Manufacturing was fifteen million in 1960 and dramatically increased decades to reached 20 million, and steadily decreased over four decades about 13 million in 2020. While, the number of jobs in Agriculture decreased steadily and six million in 1960 to 3 million over the six decades.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student attempts to address the task by reporting information about the four sectors across the given time period. An overview is provided, though it contains some factual inaccuracies regarding the trends (e.g., stating that Retail decreased when the graph shows an increase from 6 to 16 million). Main features are selected, such as Manufacturing peaking at 20 million and Healthcare increasing significantly. However, the data points contain several confusions and misreadings of the graph, such as the statement that Retail was 'about three million in 1960' when it was 6 million, and confusion over Agriculture's starting point and trajectory. The response covers parts of the task, but the inaccuracies in data reporting prevent it from achieving a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is organised into an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. There is an attempt at logical progression through time periods and sectors. However, cohesive devices are often mechanical, repetitive, or inaccurate ('To begin', 'While, the number of jobs'). Paragraphing is present, but the internal structure of the sentences within paragraphs lacks smooth flow. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly with the abrupt transitions between different economic sectors within the same paragraph. Overall, the arrangement provides a basic coherence, but cohesion is frequently faulty.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for discussing economic sectors and trends, such as 'illustrates', 'employees', 'sector', 'steadily increased', and 'dramatically increased'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as spelling 'miilion' instead of million, and using incorrect prepositions or collocations like 'jobs of Retail' instead of 'jobs in retail' or 'retail jobs'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success, and spelling errors ('miilion', 'reached' used instead of reaching) detract slightly from the overall impression.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating time clauses and comparative structures. However, grammatical control is weak, with frequent errors including missing verbs, incorrect prepositions, and faulty participle phrases (e.g., 'to reached about sixteen million', 'and steadily increased four decades to reached'). There are also punctuation and run-on sentence issues. While simple sentences are generally understandable, attempts at complex structures frequently result in errors that require the reader to slow down, placing this clearly at band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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