Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
This line graph illustrates the number of jobs in four different sectors that effects the economy of US, over the period of sixty years.
Overall, manufacturing and agriculture phase decrease slightly from their high to low values after a specific period of time. In contrast to other, retail and agriculture sectors shows a gramatical increase in their growth.
From 1960 to 1980, products manufacturing rise from 15 millions to 20 millions. Over the next fourty years, level of manufacturing drop dramtically from 20 millions to 13 millions. In contrast, agriculture start from 6 million in 1960 and then level of jobs fall and reach 2 millions in 2020.
Similarly, retailing sector which stood at 6 million in 1960 oscillates rapidly over the next few years and reach at 16 millions in 2020, which is a average growth rate of all. Healthcare also follows the same trend start from 3 millions in 1960 and significantly exceed in 60 years and reachs 16 million at the end of the period.
By the end of period, retail and healthcare peak their highest values.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The response successfully addresses the main features of the task by reporting the trends across the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. An overview is provided, noting the general trajectories such as the rise of retail and healthcare alongside the decline in agriculture and manufacturing. However, there are some minor factual inaccuracies regarding specific data points; for instance, the text states that healthcare started from 3 million in 1960 when the chart shows approximately 2 million, and retail is described as having an 'average growth rate' which is vague. Nevertheless, key comparisons are made and the overall response covers the requirements of Academic Task 1 adequately.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The essay is arranged into logical paragraphs with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing specific timeframes. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Similarly', and 'By the end of period' are used to connect ideas, though some referencing and transitions feel slightly mechanical or awkward, such as 'In contrast to other'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different periods and groups of sectors, ensuring a coherent overall progression throughout the text.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student attempts a range of vocabulary suitable for describing economic trends and data, using terms like 'fluctuates', 'peak', 'growth rate', and 'significantly exceed'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'gramatical increase' instead of 'gradual increase' and 'products manufacturing'. Spelling errors also occur, such as 'fourty' instead of 'forty' and 'dramtically'. The vocabulary is adequate for the task, but lexical control lacks precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical errors are frequent throughout the text. Examples of errors include subject-verb agreement issues ('that effects the economy', 'retail and agriculture sectors shows', 'agriculture start', 'reachs 16 million'), missing articles ('of US', 'By the end of period'), and morphological errors. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they reduce the proportion of error-free sentences and reflect limited control over complex grammar.
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