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 rose, while the number of jobs in Retail and Agriculture declined.

To begin, the number of jobs in Healthcare fell steadily three million in 1960 to sixteen million approximately over six decades. The number of jobs in Retail steadily grown 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 climbed to 20 million, and steadily declined over four decades to 13 million in 2020. While the number of jobs in Agriculture fell steadily and six million in 1960 to 3 million over the six decades.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response presents an overview of the main trends and attempts to report data for the four sectors. However, there are significant inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, the student states that the number of jobs in Healthcare fell steadily, whereas the graph clearly shows an upward trend from 2 million in 1960 to 16 million in 2020. Conversely, Retail is stated as growing, which is correct, but the details contain factual errors. Furthermore, the length requirement of 150 words is not met, as the response contains only 133 words. These data misinterpretations and the under-length penalty place this criterion at Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is structured into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. However, paragraphing and logical progression are somewhat impaired by abrupt transitions and grouping errors (e.g., grouping Healthcare and Retail together when their trends are opposites). Cohesive devices are used, but mechanically, such as 'To begin' and 'In contrast'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, and the lack of a fully coherent overall arrangement limits the score. It meets the descriptors for Band 5.0 due to noticeable organizational flaws.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, including terms like 'employees', 'sectors', 'rose', and 'declined'. However, there are notable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'steadily grown six million' instead of 'grown steadily to six million' or 'increased to six million'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success. Spelling is generally accurate, but word choice and prepositional errors constrain the lexical score to Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The line graph illustrates...' and 'While the number of jobs in Agriculture fell...'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly missing prepositions and incorrect verb forms, such as 'fell steadily three million' instead of 'fell steadily from three million' and 'steadily grown six million'. Punctuation is basic. Because errors are frequent and occasionally cause minor confusion, the performance fits Band 5.0.

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

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