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 graph represent the number of jobs four sectors produced using 1960 to 2020 in US and their effect on economy during that time. The number of jobs each sector produced was in million. During that period each sector has up and down. At starting the hightest number of jobs that a sector produced was manufacturing, which has the peak at 1980 about 20 million, produced more than any rest of the 3 sectors. But after 1980, we can see the downfall of the manufacturing from 20 million to 16-17million in 2000 and reaching 12-13 in 2020. Whereas, healthcare sector was producing lowest numbers of jobs and then reaches to 15-16 million at the time of 2020. In US agriculture was being the focused, so this sector produced very less number of jobs and time after time it decreases. Retailing where same start like agriculture, but it eventually grown with the passage of time, in 2020 it is producing same number of job as the healthcare is.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response addresses the task partially, attempting to present an overview of the four sectors across the timeline. While you correctly identify key features such as manufacturing peaking in 1980 and healthcare rising significantly, some details are inaccurate or inadequately supported. For instance, stating that agriculture was 'focused' is irrelevant to the chart data, and the description of data points like 'reaching 12-13 in 2020' lacks precision. Furthermore, the inclusion of subjective commentary such as 'their effect on economy during that time' goes beyond simply reporting the visual data. To reach a higher band, you need to provide a more accurate, fully developed selection of main trends without introducing extraneous interpretations, ensuring every part of the graph is reported with clear precision.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The writing exhibits some basic organisation, but there is no clear overall progression or paragraphing. The response is written as a single block of text, which hinders the readability of the report. While you attempt to use transitional phrases and cohesive devices like 'Whereas', 'At starting', and 'with the passage of time', these links are often repetitive, mechanical, or awkward. Referencing between sentences can also be unclear, making it difficult for the reader to follow the flow of information smoothly. To improve in this criterion, you should divide your response into logical paragraphs—such as an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for specific comparisons—and use a wider, more natural variety of cohesive links.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate for the task. You attempt some less common terms related to data trends, but these are often marred by noticeable lexical errors, incorrect word forms, or awkward phrasing, such as 'downfall' instead of 'decline', 'the hightest' (spelling), and 'retailing where same start' instead of 'retail started at the same level'. Collocations are sometimes unnatural, for example, saying agriculture 'produced very less number of jobs' instead of 'generated fewer jobs'. These errors cause some difficulty for the reader and prevent the vocabulary from scoring higher. To enhance your lexical resource, focus on using precise vocabulary for trends (e.g., fluctuate, plummet, surge) and check your word forms and spellings carefully before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

There is a limited range of sentence structures attempted, and your attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty. Frequent grammatical errors are present throughout the text, including tense inconsistencies ('The graph represent', 'agriculture was being the focused'), missing articles ('in US'), subject-verb agreement issues, and awkward prepositional phrases. For example, sentences like 'During that period each sector has up and down' display basic structural inaccuracies. These frequent errors cause difficulty for the reader in places. To achieve a higher band, you must demonstrate better control over basic grammar rules, ensure accurate subject-verb agreement and tense usage, and build more complex sentence structures with fewer mechanical errors.

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

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