Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The line graph illustrates the information about number of jobs in four different sector of the economy in the US, from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, the number of jobs in four economic sectors in the US. manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare varied considerably. The manufacturing sector accounted for the highest proportion o jobs, whereas the agriculture sector had the lowest.

In 1960, manufacturing was by the largest employer providing 15 million jobs. This figure rose significantly to a peak point of 20 million in 1980, after experienced dropping to 17 million in 2000 and setting at approximately 13 millions by 2020. agriculture which shared a similar starting point with 5 million jobs in 1960 after dropping to 3 million jobs in 1980 and 2000. finishing the least dominant sector with just 2 million jobs by 2020.

In contrast, retail and agriculture sector was also demonstrated upward trend. retail starting at 6 million in 1960 and expanding to 10 million in 1980 and 15 million in 2000. by 2020, retail numbers converged with healthcare at the same peck of roughly 16 millions jobs. Agriculture starting in 2 million job 1960 and 5 million in 1980 after reaching 11 million in 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

The response addresses the task only partially, presenting an overview with some main features and comparisons, but containing significant inaccuracies and confusion in the data reported. For example, the overview sentence is incomplete ("The number of jobs in four economic sectors in the US. manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare varied considerably.") and the body paragraphs misattribute data between categories, such as confusing retail and healthcare figures or misstating the agriculture figures by mixing them up with healthcare milestones. While the general trends of manufacturing and retail are touched upon, the lack of factual precision regarding specific figures and the confusion between sectors mean the response only achieves a partial coverage of the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some organisation, but the overall progression is hampered by mechanical cohesive devices and confusing paragraph structures. The introduction and overview are separated, and the body paragraphs attempt to group information logically, but abrupt transitions and errors in referencing make the progression difficult to follow. For instance, starting paragraphs with fragmented sentences like "agriculture which shared a similar starting point" disrupts the flow. Cohesive devices are repetitive and sometimes inaccurate, leading to a somewhat disjointed reading experience, although paragraphing is attempted reasonably well.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary range is adequate for the task, attempting some less common words and phrases such as "proportion", "dominant", and "converged". However, there are noticeable inaccuracies in word choice and collocations, such as using "peck" instead of "peak", "setting" instead of "settling", and repeating phrasing awkwardly. Spelling errors like "peck" and punctuation slips occur, but the vocabulary remains minimally adequate to convey the general subject matter without completely impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

There is a limited range of structures, with frequent errors in basic and attempted complex sentences that can cause some difficulty for the reader. There are issues with fragment sentences (e.g., "agriculture which shared a similar starting point..."), missing articles (e.g., "retail starting at 6 million"), incorrect prepositions and gerund structures (e.g., "after experienced dropping"), and subject-verb agreement or tense inconsistencies throughout the text. These frequent mechanical errors restrict the response to basic structural accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.