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 illustrates, regarding number of jobs in four different fields of the economy in the US between 1960 to 2020.
Overall, The manufacturing sector dips significantly, whereas retail and healthcare sector bloom over the period of time. on the other hand the agriculture sector falls slightly before remained stable.
The manufacturing sector were at 15 millions job in 1960 and increased sharply to 20 millions in 1980 before decreased to 17 millions in 2000 and respectively below 15 millions until 2020.
Whereas, the retail sector were at near 5 millions in 1960 and rose significantly to 10 millions in 1980 and grows to 15 millions in 2000 and almost remained stable near 15 millions until 2020.
on the other hand. agriculture sector jobs were also at near the 5 millions and decrease heavly to 2.5 millions in 1980 and illustrates stability until 2020. In contrast healthcare sectors were also at 2.5 millions in 1960 and increase to 5 millions in 1980. In 2000 the healthcare sector jumps to 15 millions and until 2020 with slight increased remained near above 15 millions.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student successfully covers all four sectors of the economy across the given timeframe, making relevant comparisons and identifying key trends. The overview captures the main movements accurately, noting the decline in manufacturing and agriculture alongside the growth in retail and healthcare. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in reporting specific data points, such as stating that manufacturing was 'respectively below 15 millions until 2020' when it actually stood at 13 million in 2020. Despite these minor discrepancies, the overall response presents a clear and well-structured summary of the visual data, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is structured into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and three body paragraphs, which provides a coherent overall arrangement. Cohesive devices are used to guide the reader, such as 'Overall', 'Whereas', and 'In contrast'. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty, seen in awkward transitions like 'on the other hand' starting a sentence with a lowercase letter and improper punctuation in places. Paragraphing is generally used appropriately to separate different sectors, but referencing and linking between sentences can be clunky at times, keeping the response at a Band 6.0 level.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common economic terms such as 'manufacturing sector', 'retail', and 'agriculture'. However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as 'dips significantly... bloom', 'decrease heavly', and 'with slight increased'. Spelling and word-formation errors occur ('heavly', 'increased' instead of 'increase'), though they do not impede communication. The lexical range is sufficient to convey the main trends, but lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands, placing it firmly at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('The manufacturing sector were at...', 'the retail sector were at...'), incorrect prepositions, and missing capitalization and punctuation at the beginning of sentences (e.g., 'on the other hand. agriculture sector...'). While these errors do not completely obscure the meaning, they occur regularly throughout the response. Therefore, a Band 5.0 is appropriate, reflecting frequent grammatical mistakes alongside a limited range of accurate structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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