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 graph compares information about the numbers of job namely manufacturing , retail , agriculture and healthcare in the united states from 1960 to 2020 .
Ovearll , manufacturing had the highest number of jobs at the begining of the period . However it was decrease over the period . In contrast healthcare and retail increased , while agriculture dropped over the period . At the end of the period healthcare and retail had highest number of jobs among the other sectors .
between 1960 to 1980 , manufacturing had jumped up by 15 million to 20 million jobs . However from 1980 to 2020 number of jobs decreased by around 20 millions to 16 millions . In 1960 the number of jobs in agriculture sector had around 6 millions of job and at the end of the period 2020 it had around 2.5 millions of job .
In the figure , healthcare shows lowest [2.5 millions ] of job in 1960 . in contrast the number of job increased by around 14 millions of job the over the period . From 1960 to 2020 increase the number of job on retail sector by around 10 millions of job .
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| 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 sectors across the given time period, providing an overview and making some key comparisons. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the data. For instance, the student states that manufacturing jumped up by '15 million to 20 million jobs' between 1960 and 1980, whereas the chart shows it rose from 15 to 20 million (an increase of 5 million). Furthermore, the sentence 'decreased by around 20 millions to 16 millions' contains mathematical confusion regarding the actual values. Despite these data misreadings, the main overall trends are successfully identified, earning a band score of 5.5.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is divided into logical paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing specific trends. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'In contrast', and 'between 1960 to 1980' are used to structure the text, although some referencing is awkward or repetitive ('over the period' is used several times in close proximity). Paragraphing is present, but logical progression between sentences is occasionally hindered by phrasing errors and incorrect data citations. Overall arrangement is coherent enough to follow the general narrative, supporting a band 6.0 score.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary relevant to the visual data, including terms like 'manufacturing', 'retail', 'agriculture', and 'healthcare', along with verbs of change such as 'increased', 'decreased', and 'dropped'. However, there are frequent errors in word formation and collocation, such as 'Ovearll' (spelling), 'begining', and awkward phrases like 'numbers of job namely manufacturing'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with limited accuracy. This performance aligns with the descriptors for Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing connectors like 'while' and 'However'. However, grammar and punctuation accuracy is low, with frequent errors including missing articles ('the united states', 'retail sector'), subject-verb agreement issues ('manufacturing had the highest number... However it was decrease'), and preposition errors ('increase the number of job on retail sector'). Punctuation around commas is also faulty. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader, placing the response at Band 5.0.
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