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)

This graph illustrates the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US from 1950 to 2020.

Overall, the graph shows the growth of the jobs in the retail and the healthcare sectors from 1950 to 2020. On the other hand, agriculture gradually decreased and manufacturing sector was moderate.

from 1960 to 2020, In retail sector the number of jobs gradually increased from 6 to 16. Furthermore, in healthcare section the number of jobs raised from 2 to 16 which was very impresive. On the other hand, manufacturing shown growth with number of 20 in 1980 which was the highest in terms of number of jobs between 1960 to 2020. After that, the number of jobs in manufacturing sector gradually fallen to 13 in 2020. But in the agriculture sector the number of jobs was never increased. The number of jobs gradually fallen 6 to 2 in 2020.

In contrast, In the US the job market was increased for retail and healthcare sector. In 1980, the manufacturing sector spiked but later the number of jobs gradually decreased every year. On the other hand, agriculture sector became all time low because the government import agricultural product from other countries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The student attempts to cover the main features of the chart, noting trends such as the upward trajectory of retail and healthcare jobs, and the decline in agriculture and manufacturing. However, there are notable factual inaccuracies regarding the timeline and data points. For instance, the student states the graph begins in '1950' rather than 1960, and claims the agriculture sector 'was never increased' when it started at 6 million and remained flat or declined, but misreads some specifics. Furthermore, the final paragraph includes outside speculation ('because the government import agricultural product from other countries'), which is not presented in the prompt and violates Task 1 conventions. Ideas are presented, but development is somewhat superficial and marred by data misreadings, placing this at Band 5.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is divided into logical paragraphs, including an introduction, overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific sectors. However, overall progression is hindered by repetitive concluding statements and abrupt transitions. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often basic or mechanically applied (e.g., repeating 'On the other hand' multiple times). Paragraphing is attempted, but sentences within paragraphs sometimes lack smooth logical links. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as shifting abruptly between sectors without proper signposting. This reflects the characteristics of Band 5.5, where an attempt at organisation is made, but cohesion and progression fall short of Band 6.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The lexical range is limited and repetitive, relying heavily on basic verbs like 'increased', 'decreased', 'fallen', and 'raised'. There are several word-form and spelling errors throughout the text, such as 'impresive' instead of impressive, 'section' instead of sector, and 'manufacturing shown growth' instead of showed. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited success or inaccuracy (e.g., 'all time low'). While the vocabulary is adequate to convey the general topic of the prompt, frequent lexical errors and a narrow range restrict the score to Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control is weak. There are frequent grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text, such as missing articles ('In retail sector', 'in healthcare section', 'in agriculture sector'), incorrect tense usage and awkward phrasing ('the number of jobs was never increased', 'manufacturing shown growth with number of 20'). Capitalisation and comma placement errors are also apparent (e.g., 'from 1960 to 2020, In retail sector...'). These persistent errors frequently cause strain for the reader and prevent the response from achieving a Band 6.0.

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