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 States between 1960 and 2020.
Overall, the number of jobs in Manufacturing and Healthcare increased, while the number of jobs of Retail and Agriculture decreased.
To begin, the number of jobs in Healthcare increased steadily reaching three million in 1960 to sixteen million approximately over six decades. The number of jobs in Retail steadily increased six million in 1960 and to 16 million in 2020 through six decades.
In contrast, the number of jobs in Manufacturing was fifteen million in 1960 and dramatically increased to 20 million, and steadily decreased over four decades to 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 | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student attempts to cover the main features of the line graph, identifying the four economic sectors and their overall trends. However, the overview contains a factual inaccuracy: the prompt data shows that Retail jobs actually increased significantly from 6 million in 1960 to 16 million in 2020, rather than decreasing as stated. Furthermore, the response is 16 words short of the 150-word minimum requirement, which directly impacts the completeness of the task. While some individual data points like Manufacturing and Healthcare are correctly reported, the overview error and the failure to meet the minimum word count limit the task achievement score to Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response has a basic structure with an introduction, an overview paragraph, and body paragraphs detailing the specific sectors. However, paragraphing is somewhat underdeveloped, with body sections lumped together awkwardly. Cohesive devices are repetitive and basic, relying heavily on phrases like 'To begin,' 'In contrast,' and 'While the number of.' Referencing and transitions between sentences can feel mechanical, resulting in a disjointed flow. There is a discernible organizational structure, but logical progression is hindered by choppy phrasing and abrupt shifts between data points. This aligns with the descriptors for Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms related to economic sectors ('employees', 'sectors', 'economy') and trend description ('increased steadily', 'dramatically increased', 'decreased'). However, there are noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as 'reaching three million in 1960 to sixteen million approximately' and preposition errors like 'decreased steadily and six million'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive, but it remains minimally adequate to convey the basic message without entirely blocking communication, fitting Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting comparative and temporal clauses ('while the number of jobs of Retail and Agriculture decreased', 'while the number of jobs in Agriculture decreased steadily'). However, grammatical accuracy is weak, with frequent errors in prepositions, conjunctions, and sentence construction (e.g., 'reaching three million in 1960 to sixteen million approximately', 'and six million in 1960 to 3 million'). These errors cause some difficulty for the reader and demonstrate limited control over complex structures, placing this response at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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