Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-06

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 illustrates the trends and give information about the number of jobs in four sectors of economy in US. The trends provide the data of time period between 1960 to onward 2020. The four sectors it cover include: manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare. Though high employment rate have seen in the manufacturing sector that led to 20 millions in 1980 and lies between 15 to 20 milions in 2000. Manufacturing sector provides high job rate among other sectors until 2000 then decreases in 2020. While other sectors like retail and healthcare show increasing rate from year 1960 to 2020. Last but not the least, there is sector that is agriculture that goes inversely increasing, irrespective of other sectors.

Overall, the graph predicts the information about the increasing and decreasing trends of number of jobs in the respected sectors and observe one of the sector that is manufacturing increases at exponential rate in 1980 then decreases in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

Please note that the response is two words short of the 150-word minimum length requirement, which impacts the overall completeness of the task. The response addresses the task only partially. While you attempted to cover the main trends, some parts are inaccurate or inadequately developed. For example, stating that manufacturing decreased in 2020 after 2000 is supported by the data, but your description of agricultural trends ('goes inversely increasing') is confusing and imprecise. Furthermore, the overview provided at the end is overly repetitive and merely restates that sectors increase and decrease rather than summarising the broader global picture. To reach a higher level, you must ensure you meet the word count, present clearer and more precise descriptions of the data, and write a more robust overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some basic organisation in the response, but it lacks a clear overall progression. The essay is divided into an introduction, a body section, and a conclusion, but the flow of ideas feels disjointed and mechanical. Cohesive devices are used awkwardly or inaccurately, such as 'Though high employment rate have seen' and 'Last but not the least, there is sector that is agriculture', which creates a choppy reading experience. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, making it difficult to follow the logical relationship between sentences. To improve cohesion, you should use smoother transitions between sentences and ensure that each paragraph builds logically upon the previous one without relying on overly conversational or repetitive phrasing.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is limited and just barely adequate for the task. You attempt some less common items such as 'exponential rate' and 'employment rate', but these are accompanied by noticeable errors in word choice, form, and collocation (e.g., 'jobs in four sectors of economy in US', 'high employment rate have seen', 'milions', 'respected sectors' instead of respective sectors). There are also errors in word forms, such as 'predicts the information' instead of 'provides information'. These inaccuracies cause some difficulty for the reader and prevent the response from achieving a higher band. To improve, you need to expand your range of vocabulary and pay closer attention to standard collocations and correct spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Your grammar displays a limited range of sentence structures, and your attempts at complex sentences are frequently faulty. There are frequent errors in verb forms, subject-verb agreement, and articles throughout the text, such as 'The graph illustrates the trends and give' (agreement error), 'trends provide the data of time period' (missing article), and 'four sectors it cover' (incorrect verb form and missing relative pronoun). Punctuation is generally simplistic, and the accumulation of these grammatical errors can cause difficulty and distraction for the reader. To achieve a higher score, you need to demonstrate better control over basic grammatical structures, ensure accurate subject-verb agreement, and use articles and prepositions more consistently.

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

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