Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

FIRSTLY WE HAVE TO TAKE START FROM 1960 TO 1980 IN WHCIH THE HEALTH RELATED JOBS WERE INCREASE AND ALONG WITH THAT THE REATIL JOBS WERE ALSO BOAST BUT SEE SAW AND DECLINE IN THE D=SECTOR OF AGRICULTURE BUT THERE WERE NO MEASUREMENT ABOUT MANUFACTURING.ADDITONALLY TILL THE 2000 THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR JOBS WERE SAME BUT SEE CAM SEE A DECLINE IN BETWEEN 2000 TO 2020.ON THE OTHER HAND THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR STILL RISING 2020 . WHILE THE RETALING SECTOR IS ALSO SHOWN IN THE GRAPH WHICH SHOW THAT THIS SECTOR IS ALSO GROWING FROM 1960 TO 2000. BUT WE CAN ALSO SEE A LITTLE DOWNWORD ANGLE IN THE MANUTACTURING SECTOR JOBS.THE AGRICULTURE AND MANUFACTURING SECTOR WERE DECLINE BUT THE HEALTH AND RETAILING SECTOR STILL IMPROVING.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, stopping at only 125 words. Regarding content, the response only partially addresses the prompt. While it attempts to discuss some trends, such as health and retail jobs, it includes inaccurate and contradictory statements, such as claiming there were no measurements for manufacturing or that the agriculture sector was still rising in 2020 when the data clearly shows it declining. There is no clear overview of the main trends across the four economic sectors, and key features are misread or omitted, placing this criterion at the lower end of the scale.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The text lacks logical organisation and progression. The response is written as a single, dense block of text without proper paragraphing. Furthermore, cohesive devices are largely misused or absent, and sentences are strung together awkwardly using repetitive connectors and capital letters. The flow is frequently disrupted by abrupt shifts between time periods and sectors, making it difficult for the reader to follow any coherent structure. Referencing is unclear, which significantly impedes the overall readability of the report.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, with noticeable spelling and word choice errors that occasionally strain communication. Examples of lexical errors include 'REATIL' instead of retail, 'BOAST' instead of boosted, 'PEATLING' or 'RETALING', and 'MANUTACTURING'. The student attempts some topic-specific vocabulary related to economic sectors, but the range is limited, and inaccuracies in word forms and spelling prevent the response from achieving a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The grammar is characterised by a very limited range of structures and frequent errors. Most sentences contain basic structural flaws, incorrect verb tenses, and missing or misused auxiliary verbs, such as 'THE HEALTH RELATED JOBS WERE INCREASE' and 'THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR STILL RISING'. Punctuation is largely neglected, with sentences run together and improper capitalisation used throughout the text. These frequent errors cause considerable difficulty for the reader and restrict the score to this band.

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