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 given line graph illustrates the such data about jobs of four fields such as Manufacturing, Agriculture, Retail and Healthcare for US economy over Fifty years period.

Overall, it is clear that the graph displays the information about jobs in four sectors from 1960 to 2020. The manufacturing experienced the highest trend in 1980, while the jobs in manufacturing decreases, however in the beginning healthcare shows the lowest number in the graph.

Firstly, manufacturing recorded an upward trend in the beginning of the graph from 1960 to 1980 which is exactly 20 millions, however it experienced a steep decline between 1980 and 2020. Secondly, retails surprisingly showed contineusly an upward trend from from 1960 to 2020 which is approximately 16 millions. Thirdly, agriculture displays contineusly a decrease trend from the vary start of the graph and it end up about 3 millions. Lastly, healthcare showed contineusly an upward like retails and which is probably 16 millions.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response covers all four sectors mentioned in the graph and attempts to highlight some main features and comparisons, which is a key requirement of this task type. However, the overview is somewhat repetitive and fails to clearly outline the overarching trends across the 60-year period, merely restating the prompt. Furthermore, some of the data reported lacks precision or is under-developed, such as stating that manufacturing experienced a steep decline without sufficiently detailing its peak in 1980 and final point, or confusing some of the trajectory details for retail and healthcare. To move higher, the response needs a more robust, integrated overview that summarises the key global trends and more precise selection and reporting of data points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement and attempts to use a paragraph-by-paragraph structure to separate the overview from the body details. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or faulty, such as the repetitive use of sequence markers ('Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Thirdly', 'Lastly') which can feel formulaic rather than naturally integrated. Referencing and logical progression between sentences also falter slightly, particularly in the second paragraph where ideas about the manufacturing sector are disjointed. To achieve a higher band, the student should employ a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices and ensure that referencing and paragraph transitions are smoother and more transparent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with attempts to incorporate less common words and phrases related to data trends, such as 'upward trend', 'steep decline', and 'decrease trend'. However, there are notable lexical errors and awkward word choices, including 'such data about jobs of four fields', 'decreases' (incorrect tense shift), and spelling or word-formation issues like 'contineusly' and 'vary start'. These errors indicate a limited flexibility in lexical control. To improve, the student needs to expand their range of functional vocabulary for describing data and pay closer attention to word formation, spelling, and standard collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response displays a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on basic patterns with frequent attempts at complex sentences that turn out faulty. There are recurrent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('the jobs in manufacturing decreases'), awkward prepositions ('jobs of four fields'), and missing or incorrect articles ('the US economy over Fifty years period'). These frequent errors can occasionally cause some difficulty for the reader. To reach a higher band, the writer must demonstrate better control over complex grammatical structures, verb tenses, and articles, ensuring that error-free sentences are much more frequent.

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

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