Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-25

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 is depicting the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US,[redacted phone]. According to the graph manufacturing sector stands first in providing jobs around 15 million in year 1960, which increased to 20 million in 1980 and than further showed decreasing tend till year 2020 around 13 million jobs. Retail and Agriculture sectors both were at 6 million jobs in year 1960. For retail sector,graph has shown increasing trend and jobs are around 16 million, which is maximum in year 2020. Moreover agriculture has shown mixture of decreasing and steady trend. In year 2020 there were least number of jobs around 2 million in sector agriculture. Addition to this healthcare jobs were about 2 million in year 1960, which than increased upto maximum number of jobs around 16 million in year 2020. Overall comparison of jobs in four different sectors is shown.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response attempts to cover all four sectors across the specified time frame, but it contains several inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, the student states that manufacturing started at around 15 million in 1960 and peaked at 20 million in 1980, which is accurate; however, other details are less precise. Furthermore, the length requirement of 150 words was not met, as the response contains only 148 words. Although the main trends are generally identified, the lack of a fully developed overview and the under-length penalty restrict the score to Band 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The essay lacks proper paragraphing, presented instead as a single block of text, which significantly hinders its organizational clarity. Cohesive devices are basic and repetitive, relying heavily on temporal links like 'In year 1960' and 'Moreover' without demonstrating flexible progression. While there is a logical attempt to move from one sector to another, the mechanical referencing and absence of paragraph breaks mean the response does not exceed Band 5.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for basic reporting, employing terms such as 'sector', 'increasing trend', and 'decreasing trend'. However, there is a lack of less common lexical items or sophisticated paraphrasing. The student makes minor lexical and spelling errors, such as 'tend' instead of 'trend' and 'mixture of decreasing and steady trend'. The range is sufficient for the task, but lacks flexibility, earning a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'According to the graph manufacturing sector stands first in providing jobs... which increased to 20 million...'. However, there are noticeable grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, including missing articles ('in year 1960', 'graph has shown'), tense inconsistencies ('is depicting' combined with past data), and preposition errors ('in sector agriculture'). These errors do not impede overall communication, placing the grammar at a Band 5.5.

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