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 graph illustrates the information about the number of jobs in different categories manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare with economy generated in US over a time period 1960 to 2020.

Overall, the number of jobs in manufacturing had more in the initial stage and healthcare had least number of jobs. Although in the end, retail and healthcare sectors had surged up steadily with no fluctuations throughout the time period.

In manufacturing unit, the number of jobs were more in the beginning 1960. Then moved upward providing jobs about 5 million within two decades of time period, then had a major downfall with no upward trend till the end. Retail and agriculture sector had a equal number of jobs in the initial stage .Comparitively retail market had a growth and reached around 16 million jobs in the end meanwhile, agriculture had a downward trend and ended up with less number of jobs.

Healthcare sector had relatively less jobs in the beginning, but it had a massive growth in its jobs and ended up with more jobs equally with retail sector.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response covers all four economic sectors (manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare) over the given timeframe and attempts to present an overview and main trends. However, the accuracy of the data description is sometimes flawed. For instance, the claim that retail and healthcare sectors 'had no fluctuations throughout the time period' is inaccurate, as both experienced clear upward trajectories with distinct changes in gradient. Additionally, some data points are loosely described rather than precisely reported. The overview is somewhat weak, focusing on initial and end points rather than the overarching trends. Consequently, the response aligns best with Band 6 descriptors for Task Achievement, as it addresses all parts of the task but lacks precision in reporting key features and trends.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is arranged into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overall statement, and then breaking down the sectors across subsequent paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'Although', 'Then', and 'meanwhile', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or awkward (e.g., 'In manufacturing unit'). Paragraphing is generally appropriate, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct part of the data. Referencing is mostly clear, though some sentences are slightly disjointed. Overall, the organizational structure is coherent enough to earn a Band 6, as ideas are generally presented in a logical sequence despite some limitations in cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing economic data, including terms such as 'sector', 'initial stage', 'downfall', 'upward trend', and 'growth'. However, there are notable lexical errors and unnatural collocations throughout the text, such as 'economy generated in US', 'had more in the initial stage', 'surged up steadily', and 'ended up with more jobs equally'. Spelling is generally correct, but word choice and phrasing often lack precision and natural flexibility. These limitations prevent the lexical score from rising above Band 5.5, reflecting a mix of minimally adequate vocabulary and noticeable errors in word choice.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using subordinating clauses like 'Although in the end...' and 'while agriculture had...'. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several structural errors and awkward agreements, such as 'the number of jobs were' (should be 'was'), 'least number of jobs' (should be 'the least number'), and 'Comparitively retail market had a growth'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but frequent errors in grammar and prepositions occur. Because simple forms are handled with better success than complex ones, and errors occasionally cause slight strain for the reader, a score of 5.5 is appropriate.

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