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 graph illustrates the number of jobs produced in four sectors of the US economy between 1960 and 2020: Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture, and Healthcare.
The Retail sector and Healthcare sector have a significant increase, starting from 1960 to finally crossing the manufacturing sector at a whopping 16 million jobs. The manufacturing sector had a good start at 15 million in 1960, to having the most rise to 20 million in 1980. It gradually decreased to 13 million in 2020.
Agriculture sector start as same as the retail sector of 5million but saw a fall of 3 million in 1980 equal to 2020 ,It had a declined of 2 million at 2020.
The most number of jobs were produced by agriculture, but it declined over the years. However, we can see the most steady steps of retail throughout the years with equal number of jobs 16 million as the 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 attempts to cover the main trends in the four sectors, but contains several factual inaccuracies regarding the data. For instance, the student states that the 'Agriculture sector start as same as the retail sector of 5million', whereas the chart shows Agriculture started at 6 million in 1960. Furthermore, the claim that '[t]he most number of jobs were produced by agriculture' contradicts the visual data, which clearly shows Manufacturing peaking at 20 million and Healthcare/Retail reaching 16 million. While an overview is attempted at the end, the misinterpretation of data and slight confusion in the body paragraphs prevent the response from fully and accurately reporting the main features, aligning with a Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The response exhibits some overall organisation, attempting to group information by sector across the years. However, the progression of ideas is frequently disrupted by awkward transitions and confusing sentence placement. For example, the final paragraph abruptly introduces a false generalisation about agriculture being the highest job producer. Paragraphing is rudimentary and lacks clear structural division between an introductory overview and the body details. Cohesive devices are minimal or misused, such as 'to having the most rise' and 'It had a declined of 2 million at 2020', resulting in mechanical flow. This corresponds to a Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate basic vocabulary related to the task, including terms such as 'sector', 'economy', 'rise', and 'decreased'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations throughout, such as 'have a significant increase', 'start as same as', and 'most steady steps'. Word formation errors are also present, including 'a declined' instead of 'a decline'. The range of vocabulary is limited and restricts precision, preventing the score from reaching Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response demonstrates a mixed control of sentence structures, attempting some complex forms alongside simple ones. However, grammatical errors are frequent and occasionally impede readability. Examples include tense confusion ('Agriculture sector start as same...'), preposition errors ('at 2020' instead of 'in 2020'), and faulty subject-verb agreement or clause structures ('to having the most rise to 20 million'). Punctuation is also erratic, with missing commas and improper capitalization after commas. These persistent errors place the writing firmly in the Band 5.0 category.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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