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 graph illustrates the number of jobs in millions over the period of 60 years in four different sectors of the economy in US. Overall, two sectors created jobs continuously as the lines are increasing while other two sectors showed a declining trend.
The jobs in retail sector and healthcare sectors increased from almost 5.2 millions and 2.5 millions respectively to approximately 15.1 millions. Both the lines of these two sectors are continuously increasing from 1960 to 2020.
While the manufacturing sector first showed 15 million jobs in 1960 and increased to 20 million in 1980 but then there is constant decline in graph line till 2020 where 13 millions jobs left. For agriculture sector, at the start the jobs decreased from approximately 5.1 millions to 2.5 millions in 1980 and then the number remained almost constant till there is slight decline in 2020.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The student attempts to address all parts of the prompt by identifying the main trends across the four sectors over the 60-year period. An overview is provided, noting that two sectors increased while two declined. However, there are some inaccuracies in reporting the specific figures. For instance, the text states that retail and healthcare increased to 'approximately 15.1 millions', whereas healthcare actually reached 16 million by 2020. Furthermore, agriculture is described as starting at '5.1 millions' and dropping to 2.5 million in 1980, which slightly misrepresents the starting point. Crucially, the word count falls just short of the 150-word minimum at 144 words. Despite these minor data discrepancies and the length penalty, the main features and comparisons are adequately reported, satisfying the core requirements of Task Achievement at a Band 5.5 level.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response is arranged into three paragraphs, featuring an introduction with an overview, a body paragraph for the upward trends, and a final body paragraph for the downward trends. This provides a logical structure. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'While', and 'For agriculture sector' are used to connect ideas, though the transitions can feel somewhat mechanical. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate different trends. However, referencing is occasionally imprecise, and the progression between sentences could be smoother to achieve higher-level coherence. Overall, the organisation is coherent enough to earn a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, incorporating terms such as 'sector', 'economy', 'continuously', 'declining trend', and 'constant decline'. However, there are notable lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'jobs left' instead of 'jobs remaining' or 'jobs available', and repetitive phrasing like 'continuously increasing'. Word form errors also appear, such as writing 'millions' with an unnecessary plural 's' when preceded by a specific number ('almost 5.2 millions'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main trends, these inaccuracies limit the score to a Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using conjunctions and clauses like 'as the lines are increasing while other two sectors showed a declining trend'. However, grammatical control is inconsistent. There are issues with tense consistency and missing articles, such as omitting the definite article before 'US' ('in US') and 'retail sector' ('in retail sector'). Additionally, some tense shifts are awkward, as seen in 'at the start the jobs decreased... and then the number remained... till there is slight decline'. Errors occur frequently enough to occasionally cause minor hesitation, though they do not completely impede communication. This warrants a Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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