Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The chart ilustrates the number of quantity of occupation in four fields of the economy in the US in the years 1960 to 2020.All of the sectors showed growth except agriculture.

The Manufacturing domain had the highest count of jobs in the year 1960 and showed significant growth where it reached it's peak at 20 million jobs in 1980, gradually reducing to less then 15 million jobs in 2020. Retail sector also showed a positive trend increasing from 5 million jobs to 15 million in 2020. Retail sector did showed a more increase toward 2020 with jobs more than the manufacturing domain.

The agriculture industry showed a gradual drop with 5 million jobs to 2 and a half million jobs in 2020. While the healthcare industry surged from less than five million jobs in 1960 to 15 million occupations in 2020. And had more steep surge then Retail sector even though had similar number in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response covers all key sectors in the graph and provides a clear overview, noting that three sectors grew while agriculture declined. The student correctly highlights the main trends and makes relevant comparisons, such as contrasting the trajectory of manufacturing and healthcare. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in specific data reporting, such as stating that manufacturing dropped to 'less then 15 million' in 2020 when the data indicates around 13 million, and minor imprecisions regarding starting figures. Despite these slight errors, the core information is well-reported, meeting the requirements of a Band 6.5 to 7.0 profile for task fulfillment.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text has a clear overall progression and is divided into appropriate paragraphs to separate different economic sectors. Cohesive devices such as 'while', 'where', and transitional phrases are used to connect ideas, although some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, and the response flows logically from the introduction to body paragraphs discussing individual sectors and comparisons. Paragraphing is handled sufficiently, supporting an easy read throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing graphical data, using terms like 'domain', 'industry', 'trend', 'surged', and 'gradually reducing'. However, there are several lexical errors and awkward collocations, such as 'number of quantity of occupation' (which contains redundancy and incorrect word choice), 'Retail sector did showed a more increase', and spelling/punctuation issues like 'iless' and 'it's' instead of 'its'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with mixed success, placing the vocabulary firmly in the Band 6 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses introduced by 'where', 'while', and 'even though'. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are noticeable errors such as 'did showed a more increase', 'less then' instead of 'less than', and missing subject-verb consistency or awkward phrasing in clauses like 'And had more steep surge then Retail sector'. Punctuation and spelling slips also occur. These errors rarely impede communication entirely, reflecting a solid Band 6 level.

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