Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-30
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 changes in the number of jobs over the period from 1960 to 2020, measured in millions.
Overall, retail and healthcare rose over the period, while manufacturing and agriculture followed the opposite pattern. However, manufacturing peaked in the 1980s.
Manufacturing accounted for 20 million in 1980, representing the largest proportion, but declined after that. Retail and healthcare followed, making up approximately 16 million in 2020; they soared since the 1960s. Healthcare bottomed out over the years and was the lowest in 2020.
By contrast, Manufacturing experienced the opposite trend. It soared from the beginning but declined over the years and deteriorated in 2020. Meanwhile, Agriculture remained relatively stable at around years but bottomed out.
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 makes an attempt to cover the main trends in the four economic sectors, identifying overall patterns and some specific data points such as the 1980 manufacturing peak of 20 million. However, the response suffers from significant inaccuracies regarding data reading and interpretation. For example, the student states that 'Healthcare bottomed out over the years and was the lowest in 2020,' which completely contradicts the visual data showing healthcare rising significantly to 16 million by 2020. Furthermore, there are internal contradictions, such as stating manufacturing experienced the opposite trend after already discussing its peak and decline. Because the response falls well below the 150-word minimum (containing only 117 words) and exhibits major factual misreadings of the graph, it is limited to a Band 5.0.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The essay attempts a basic paragraph structure with an introduction, overall trend statement, and body paragraphs. However, the progression of ideas is hindered by abrupt transitions and logical contradictions between sentences (e.g., jumping between manufacturing and healthcare without clear links, and stating healthcare was the lowest in 2020 when it was actually tied for the highest). Cohesive devices are used in a mechanical or repetitive manner, such as 'By contrast' and 'Meanwhile,' and referencing is sometimes confusing, as seen in the final sentence regarding agriculture ('around years but bottomed out'), which breaks down logically and grammatically. Paragraphing is rudimentary. This level of organisation aligns with Band 5.0.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
The student attempts some less common vocabulary related to data trends, such as 'accounted for,' 'proportion,' 'peaked,' and 'soared.' However, word choice and collocations are frequently inaccurate or inappropriate in context, such as 'deteriorated in 2020' used for job numbers, or 'Healthcare bottomed out over the years.' There are also noticeable gaps and misuse of phrases, such as 'at around years,' which impede comprehension. The vocabulary range is limited and repetitive, sufficient only for a basic description. This demonstrates the characteristics of Band 5.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response uses a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures (e.g., 'Manufacturing accounted for 20 million in 1980, representing the largest proportion, but declined after that'). However, control over grammar is inconsistent. There are major grammatical errors and incomplete thoughts, particularly in the final paragraph where the sentence structure breaks down entirely ('Agriculture remained relatively stable at around years but bottomed out'). While simple sentences are generally understandable, attempts at more complex or extended structures often result in faulty grammar and meaning distortion. This performance sits firmly at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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