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 and 2020.
Overall, the number of jobs in Manufacturing and Healthcare rose, while the number of jobs in Retail and Agriculture declined.
In contrast, the number of jobs in Healthcare grew steadily from three million in 1960 to approximately sixteen million over six decades. The number of jobs in Retail grew gradually from six million in 1960 to 16 million in 2020 through six decades.
In contrast, the number of jobs in Manufacturing was fifteen million in 1960 and climbed dramatically to 20 million, and declined steadily over four decades to 13 million in 2020. The number of jobs in Agriculture declined slowly from 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 | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student covers most key features of the graph, outlining general trends and citing specific data points such as the initial and final figures for the four sectors. However, the overview contains a factual inaccuracy: the text states that jobs in Retail declined, whereas the graph clearly shows that Retail jobs rose from six million in 1960 to sixteen million in 2020. Furthermore, the response is under the 133-word mark, failing the 150-word minimum requirement. Due to the inaccurate overview and failure to meet the minimum length requirement, the score is capped.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response has an identifiable overall structure, starting with an introduction, moving to an overview, and then providing body details. However, the cohesive devices are used clumsily; the phrase 'In contrast' is repeated twice in close succession to introduce new data points where there is no actual contrast ('In contrast, the number of jobs in Healthcare...' and 'In contrast, the number of jobs in Manufacturing...'). Paragraphing is also poorly handled, with single-sentence paragraphs that fragment the body of the report. Progression lacks smoothness.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with standard descriptive verbs and nouns such as 'rose', 'declined', 'gradually', 'steadily', and 'employees'. There are some successful lexical choices, but the range is limited and repetitive. The student occasionally misuses words or describes trends inaccurately due to lexical limitations. However, communication is generally straightforward and not heavily impeded by lexical errors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The line graph illustrates the number of employees...' and 'The number of jobs in Healthcare grew steadily from three million in 1960 to approximately sixteen million over six decades.' Grammatical accuracy is generally fair, with correct verb tenses used to describe past data. There are minor awkward phrasings, but grammar and punctuation errors do not impede communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.