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)
This diagram is about jobs in US economy. Acording to this diagram manufacturing sector gave most jobs in US economy but jobs starting declining after year 2000. And second sector which is currently giving most jobs is retail sector it produced only about 5 million jobs but it is in rising trend and after 2000 it even overtook manufacturing sector. Healthcare sector is another intresting sector it was producing less jobs than manufacturing and retail sector but growth continued and especially after 1980 significant upward jump is seen but agriculture is only sector which didn't generate much jobs and it is continuously falling.
Overall this diagram is very informative and tells even though jobs in manufacturing sector reduced but overall jobs in US economy continued to increase thanks to retail and healthcare sector.
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 response fails to meet the minimum word length requirement of 150 words, containing only 133 words, which directly impacts the completeness of the task. While the student attempts to cover the main trends—mentioning manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and agriculture—the lack of sufficient development and data points prevents a full overview. For instance, the reference to specific figures is extremely limited and imprecise (e.g., stating retail 'produced only about 5 million jobs' when the start was 6 million, and omitting key timeline milestones). Because the task is under-length and lacks thorough comparative reporting of the data provided in the graph, it falls into the Band 5 category.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The text suffers from poor paragraphing and organizational structure, consisting essentially of one large block of text followed by a very brief concluding sentence. Cohesive devices are largely absent or rudimentary, relying on consecutive run-on sentences and repetitive conjunctions ('And second sector...', 'Healthcare sector is another intresting sector...'). The logical progression between ideas is hindered by the lack of clear discourse markers and punctuation (notably a complete absence of periods in the main body paragraph). Referencing is sometimes unclear, and the overall arrangement lacks the clear structural signposting expected in an Academic Task 1 response. This reflects the descriptors for Band 4.5, rounded to 5.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, frequently reusing terms such as 'sector', 'jobs', and 'economy' without significant variation. There are noticeable spelling errors, such as 'Acording' and 'intresting', along with awkward phrasing like 'gave most jobs' instead of 'provided the highest number of jobs'. While the student attempts some less common vocabulary such as 'overtook' and 'upward jump', the limited lexical range and frequent word-choice limitations restrict the response to Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The writing relies heavily on simple and compound structures, often linked incorrectly with coordinating conjunctions or run-on clauses without proper punctuation (e.g., 'And second sector which is currently giving most jobs is retail sector it produced only about 5 million jobs...'). Complex structures are attempted but frequently faulty. Grammatical errors, particularly run-on sentences, missing articles, and punctuation mistakes, occur frequently and occasionally impede the reader's flow. These characteristics align closely with Band 5 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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