Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The line graph illustrates the number of jobs in four different sectors of the economy in the US, namely manufacturing, retail, agriculture, healthcare over the 60 year period.

Overall, retail and healthcare sectors were gradually rose in employnment in the US. However, manufacturing and agriculture were fell. Highest figure of job sector is retail and healthcare in 2020, while the lowest jobs in agriculture.

Initially, in retail sector was significantly climbed and reached at aproximately 16 million had jobs. Where between 1960 to 2000 slowely rose where retail had 15 million jobs. Moreover, healthcare had also slightly increased over the 60 year period. Beginning with 7 millions  of jobs in 1960 and gradually increased to 2000 with around 11 millions of employment, at the end in 2020 had also 16  millions of jobs.

In manufacturing sector had sharp grew in 1980 with 20 millions of people had jobs, then rush to decreased by 2.5 millions jobs in 2000. finally, in 2020 figure out at 13 millions of people had jobs in manufacturing. Agriculture had fell continuously and start with 1980 to around 3 millions of employment and in 2000 had 2 millions o people had jobs in this sector.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to cover all four sectors across the sixty-year period, fulfilling the basic requirements of Task 1. However, there are significant issues with data accuracy and misinterpretation of the visual data. For example, the writer states that healthcare began with '7 millions of jobs in 1960', whereas the graph clearly shows it starting at approximately 2 million. Similarly, descriptions of trends contain confusion, such as stating that manufacturing 'rush to decreased by 2.5 millions jobs in 2000' and later claiming agriculture 'start with 1980 to around 3 millions'. An overview is attempted, but it is marred by grammatical errors and inaccurate generalisations. These inaccuracies and under-developed comparisons place the response firmly in Band 5.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure, with an introduction, an overview paragraph, and separate body paragraphs for different sectors. However, the progression of ideas is frequently disrupted by awkward phrasing and poor mechanical cohesion. Transition markers are either missing or misused (e.g., 'Moreover', 'finally, in 2020 figure out at'). Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of ideas lacks logical flow; for instance, mixing retail and healthcare details rather than contrasting them clearly against manufacturing and agriculture. Pronoun referencing and substitution are weak, resulting in sentences that are difficult to follow. These issues align with a Band 5 descriptor.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The student attempts a range of vocabulary related to economic sectors and trends, using words like 'manufacturing', 'retail', 'agriculture', 'healthcare', and 'employment'. However, there are frequent word-choice errors, awkward collocations, and incorrect word forms (e.g., 'gradually rose in employnment', 'slowely rose', 'sharp grew', 'rush to decreased'). Spelling and morphological errors ('aproximately') also detract from the quality of writing. While the vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the general topic, the density of lexical errors limits the score to Band 5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing displays a very limited range of grammatical structures, with frequent and systemic errors throughout. The student attempts complex sentences, but these are almost always faulty and ungrammatical (e.g., 'Initially, in retail sector was significantly climbed and reached at aproximately 16 million had jobs'). There are widespread errors in verb tense, voice, and preposition use, such as 'were fell', 'had also slightly increased', and 'figure out at'. Punctuation is basic and erratic. Because errors are frequent and occasionally impede clear comprehension of the data, the performance corresponds to Band 4.5, rounded to Band 5 for IELTS marking conventions.

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