Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-29

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)

The line graph presents details about the number of work places in four different sectors of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020.

Overall,People are seen to be interested in doing healthcare jobs most than the other three sectors which was the lowest interesting job at the beginning.There was a dramatic increase in retail jobs whereas the manufaturing works decreased slightly.Agriculture sector was seen less attracted from the start which is still at the bottom of the graph.

The number healthcare job was just around 2 millions in 1960 which experienced a huge increase from the 1980 to 2020 reaching over 15 millions which is the highest of them all.Manufacturing job was also at a great shape with 15 millions people approximately interested in it which peaked in the year 1980 to 20 millions.Then it slightly went down from around 17 millions in the year 2020 to finishing just under 15 millions 2020.

However,retail jobs were in a low number of just over 5 millions which experienced a great influence in upcoming years reaching 10 millions in 1980 finally reaching over 15 millions in 2020.People were always less keen towards agricultural jobs as the number was around 6 millions only in 1960.Unfortunately,the number dropped more in the upcoming years dropping under 5 millions in 1980 which remained quite the same from 2000 to 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The student attempts to cover all four sectors of the economy shown in the graph, providing an overview and mentioning key trends and figures. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the data and a slightly colloquial tone ('People are seen to be interested in doing healthcare jobs most'). The overview identifies some main features, though phrasing like 'lowest interesting job' is unnatural. Data points are generally close to the source graph, such as manufacturing peaking in 1980 at 20 million and retail reaching 16 million in 2020. However, the response would benefit from greater precision and more fully developed comparisons between the sectors to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is arranged into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs detailing the specific sectors. Logical organisation is generally present, and the student makes use of cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'However', and 'Then'. However, paragraphing and referencing are sometimes awkward, and transitions between sentences can feel mechanical. For instance, the transition from manufacturing to retail in the final paragraph lacks a smooth bridging sentence. Cohesion is sometimes faulty, but an overall logical structure is maintained throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common terms such as 'dramatic increase' and 'sector'. However, there are notable lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'work places' instead of 'sectors' or 'industries', 'lowest interesting job', and 'great shape'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but phrasing often relies on informal or imprecise expressions rather than precise academic vocabulary suitable for Task 1 reports.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and temporal prepositional phrases ('in 1960', 'from the 1980 to 2020'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward constructions throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The number healthcare job was') and missing prepositions or incorrect articles. Punctuation is generally functional, but run-on elements and awkward phrasing occur in sentences like 'Manufacturing job was also at a great shape with 15 millions people approximately interested in it which peaked in the year 1980 to 20 millions.'

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