Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-05

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 data about the number of jobs in several sectors of the economy in the United States between six decades, from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, The most dominant sector was manufacturing for four decades and the least was healthcare for four decades. While other two had fluctuation in all decades.

In 1960, the most dominant sector was manufacturing, at 15 millions. While the least was healthcare, represented nearly 2 millions. Furthermore, retail and agriculture were exactly similar, nearly at 6 millions. In 1980, the maximum number of job in one sector was not changed. Manufacturing job increased in this decade by 5 millions. Meanwhile retail and healthcare both respectively increased nearly by 5% and 2.5%. the least dominating sector was agriculture, nearly at 4 millions.

In 2000, all the sector remained similar to past decade with little fluctuation. on the other hand, manufacturing sector fall by 5 millions and came with third maximum number of jobs. while agriculture remained similar, at the least number of jobs. Moreover, retail and agriculture ended up similar, accounted nearly at 15 millions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response attempts to address the prompt by reporting information about the four economic sectors, but it contains several inaccuracies and contradictory statements regarding the visual data. For instance, the overview incorrectly claims that healthcare was the least dominant sector for four decades, whereas the chart shows agriculture holding the lowest position in 1980, 2000, and 2020. Additionally, the body paragraphs misinterpret key figures, such as stating manufacturing was at '15 millions' in 1960 (which is correct) but later making confusing and incorrect assertions about retail and agriculture ending up similar at 15 millions in 2000 when they diverged significantly. The selection of data lacks precision, and the overall progression is hindered by these factual errors, meaning the task is only partially addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text is divided into paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs, which gives it an overall structural framework. However, the logical progression within and between paragraphs is disrupted by faulty referencing and weak cohesive devices. Transitions such as 'Furthermore' and 'Moreover' are used mechanically, and the phrase 'While other two had fluctuation' is grammatically incomplete and fails to clearly link ideas. The referencing is also unclear in places, such as when the writer attempts to summarize trends across multiple decades without establishing a clear chronological narrative. Paragraphing is attempted, but internal cohesion requires better logical sequencing to guide the reader smoothly through the data.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, with simple terms like 'sector', 'economy', and 'jobs' appearing frequently. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary items such as 'dominant' and 'fluctuation', but these are often accompanied by inaccuracies in word choice, form, or collocation. For example, using 'millions' instead of 'million' or inventing phrases like 'least dominating sector' and 'fall by 5 millions' demonstrates a limited lexical range. Spelling is generally acceptable, but frequent lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing restrict the precision of the descriptions, occasionally causing confusion for the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writer demonstrates a limited range of grammatical structures, relying primarily on simple sentences alongside a few attempts at complex forms that are frequently faulty. There are persistent errors in verb tenses, articles, and prepositions within grammatical patterns. For instance, sentences such as 'the most dominant sector was manufacturing, at 15 millions' lack proper verb integration, and 'all the sector remained similar to past decade' contains article and pluralisation errors ('sector', 'past decade'). Punctuation is also problematic, with several sentence fragments used where independent clauses should be joined or separated. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader and reflect a restricted control over sentence grammar.

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