Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-28
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 Chart Graph illustrate the number of jobs in the difference sectors of the economy in the United States in between 1960 to 2020. The sectors of economy it demonstrated here are manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare.
The Manufacturing sector of economy have higher number of jobs. In 1960 it give15 million jobs, in 1980 it give 20 million jobs, in 2000 it give 17 million jobs and in 2020 it give 14 million jobs.
The agricultural sector of US had given 6 million jobs in 1960, 3 million jobs in 1980 , same for 2020 and 2 million jobs in 2020.
The retail sectors cover 6 million jobs in 1960, 10 million jobs in 1980 , 15 million jobs in 2000 and 16 million jobs in 2020.
The healthcare is the one of last sector that increases the jobs with the passage of time like in 1960 3 million jobs, 5 miloion jobs in 1980, 15 million jobs in 2000 and 16 million jobs in 2020
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The student covers all four economic sectors shown in the graph and attempts to report figures for each year provided. However, there are several data inaccuracies and contradictions when compared against the visual data. For example, for the agricultural sector, the student writes "same for 2020 and 2nd million jobs in 2020", which is confusing and contradictory. Additionally, manufacturing in 2020 is reported as 14 million (closer to 13), and healthcare in 1960 is reported as 3 million (closer to 2). While an overview is attempted through listing the sectors, there is no true summary or comparison highlighting main trends, such as the dramatic rise of healthcare and retail versus the decline of agriculture and manufacturing. This places the response firmly at Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response is organized into separate paragraphs for each sector following the introduction, which gives a basic structure. However, there is a distinct lack of overall progression or effective cohesive devices linking the sentences and paragraphs together. Sentences tend to be mechanically structured around raw data listing (e.g., repeating "in 1960 it give..., in 1980 it give..."). Paragraphing is attempted, but individual paragraphs are sometimes restricted to single sentences or repetitive lists. Referencing and cohesive transitions between ideas are weak, resulting in a somewhat choppy and mechanical flow. This aligns with a Band 5.0 for Coherence and Cohesion.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive. The student relies heavily on simple terms and phrases such as "number of jobs", "sectors of the economy", and repetitive verbs like "give" or "increase". There are also noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as "The Line Chart Graph illustrate", "difference sectors", and "is the one of last sector". Spelling errors occur, such as "miloion". The lexical range is limited and barely adequate for the task, constraining the score to a Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but control over grammar is weak. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ("The Manufacturing sector... have", "it give"), tense inconsistencies, and missing articles ("The healthcare is the one of last sector"). Punctuation and phrasing are also occasionally awkward. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader and prevent the response from achieving a higher band, fitting the Band 5.0 descriptors well.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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