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 shows the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy-Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare in US from the year 1960 to 2020.
Overall, manufacturing reached the highest point of the graph, whereas agriculture ended up providing the least number of jobs.
In 1960, the number of jobs provided by manufacturing was 15 million. While the other three ranged between 6 million to 2 million. In the next 20 years, every sector had a significant growth except agriculture.
Manufacturing employed around 16 million people declining, in the year 2000. Retail and Healthcare were still increasing at a dramatic rate. Moreover, agriculture employed the same number of employees in the next 20 years as well. In 2020, Retail and healthcare provided job to about 15 million individuals following by Manufacturing by 14 million people. Employees working in Agriculture remained almost same declining at a gradual rate in the year 2020.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
The response covers all parts of the task well by providing an overview and reporting the main trends for the four sectors shown in the graph. The overview successfully identifies manufacturing as having reached the highest point and agriculture providing the least jobs. Key features are selected and compared across the period from 1960 to 2020, such as the growth in retail and healthcare alongside the decline in agriculture and manufacturing. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in data reporting; for example, the text states that manufacturing employed 'around 16 million people declining, in the year 2000' whereas the chart shows it at approximately 17 million, and some sentence structures obscure precise temporal comparisons. Overall, the task is addressed competently.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction, followed by an overview paragraph, and then body paragraphs detailing specific data points. Progression is generally clear throughout the text. Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, such as 'Overall', 'In 1960', and 'Moreover'. However, paragraphing could be structured more effectively, and some transitions feel slightly mechanical or abrupt. Referencing between sentences is sometimes ambiguous, such as in the transition between the third and fourth paragraphs, which slightly disrupts the flow of information.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with appropriate topic-specific terms like 'manufacturing', 'retail', 'agriculture', and 'healthcare'. The student attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'significant growth', 'dramatic rate', and 'gradual rate', though usage is occasionally imprecise or awkwardly phrased, such as 'provided job to about 15 million individuals following by Manufacturing'. There are also minor awkward collocations and word choices, but the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main features and trends of the graph without impeding communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The essay demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as introductory prepositional phrases and subordinate clauses ('While the other three ranged...', 'as well'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, including 'in US' instead of 'in the US', 'declining, in the year 2000', and 'following by Manufacturing'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors persist, they rarely impede communication, allowing the reader to follow the intended meaning of the report easily.
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.