Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The line graph illustrates the number of jobs each sector has during the 1960 and 2020. As per the graph manufacturing sector has the largest people employed while healthcare system consist of lowest employment diven during the 1960's in the US.

During 1960's manufacturing sector was one of the reliable and most demanding sector becuase as per the data 15 million jobs were at the manufacturing sector whereas the other three sectors retail, agricultural and health care have given way less jobs than that of manufacturing. In addition to that health care has only given 2 million jobs in that time.

On the other hand, in 2020's opposite happen to that of 1960, manufacturing sector has tumbled and the numbers are constantly decreasing while on the other hand health care saw a boom in giving jobs and it is on the greatest rise.

As per the conclusion a special treat was not given to the manufacturing sector as in one time it was the most demanding sector but in the six decade opposite to that happens while the heads on heals was given to healthcare sysytem.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response attempts to address the prompt by describing trends in the line graph, but it struggles significantly with accurate data reporting and appropriate summarisation. For instance, the text states that healthcare had the lowest employment in 1960 (which is correct at 2 million), but the descriptions of later trends contain inaccurate or vague assertions, such as claiming that retail was the highest in 2000 or generalising trends without capturing the key movements across the four sectors over the 60-year span. Furthermore, the final paragraph lapses into highly informal, unidiomatic expressions ('a special treat was not given', 'heads on heals') rather than reporting data objectively. Consequently, this performance aligns with Band 5 as it addresses the task only partially and contains limited, underdeveloped ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The essay is divided into four paragraphs, attempting an introduction, body details, and a concluding summary. However, the overall organisation lacks clear logical progression, and the transitions between sentences feel disjointed or mechanical. For example, expressions like 'As per the conclusion a special treat was not given...' fail to establish a coherent summary of visual data. Moreover, cohesive devices are frequently used inaccurately or repetitively, such as the overuse of 'on the other hand' without contrasting clear, parallel points. Referencing is also weak, making it difficult to follow the relationships between data points. This level of organisation and cohesion fits Band 5 descriptors.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is very limited and frequently inappropriate for an academic task. The student attempts some topic-specific terms like 'manufacturing sector' and 'healthcare system', but makes numerous word choice and collocation errors, such as 'employment diven', 'reliable and most demanding sector', and 'the numbers are constantly decreasing'. The final paragraph contains bizarre idiom-like phrases ('special treat', 'heads on heals') that completely break down academic register and impede communication. Spelling and morphological errors ('becuase') are also present. These limitations place the lexical resource squarely at Band 5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The essay displays a very limited range of grammatical structures. Most sentences are simple or poorly coordinated, and attempts at complex structures typically result in faulty grammar and heavy punctuation errors. Examples include 'The line graph illustrates the number of jobs each sector has during the 1960 and 2020' (missing prepositions and incorrect time framing) and 'in 2020's opposite happen to that of 1960, manufacturing sector has tumbled and the numbers are constantly decreasing'. Frequent errors in tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, and clause linking cause considerable difficulty for the reader. This performance reflects Band 4.5 to 5.0, comfortably landing at Band 5.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.