Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-08

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

Number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US, 1960-2020

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The graph shows the number of jobs in the four sectors of the united state economy between 1960 and 2020.

overall the graph illustrates the comparisions of four jobs between 1960 t0 2020 in manufacturing,Retail,agriculture and healthcare sectors in the US economy.

the trends of job was high in manufacturing sector having 15 millions job in 1960 which reaches to 20 million in 1980. But after that it shows decline and in 2020 it drop to below 15 millions.Same is the case with agriculture sector which shows gradual decline in jobs from 6millions to 2millions during 1960 and2020. In opposite to this trend of healthcare and retail sector jobs raises rapidly and reases to 15millions in year 2020 .

the number of jobs in healthcare and Retail increases gradually during 1960 and 2020 as compared to trend in jobs in agriculture and manufacturing sector in united state economy decreases over the time between years1960 and 2020 rapidly.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify all four sectors and report several central patterns: manufacturing peaks in 1980 before declining, agriculture falls overall, and healthcare and retail rise. However, some key details are inaccurate or unclear. Manufacturing ends at about 13 million, not simply “below 15,” and retail and healthcare both finish at around 16 million; the claim that they reach 15 million does not capture this accurately. The overview also repeats that some sectors rise and others fall without clearly highlighting the changing rankings—for example, healthcare and retail catch up with manufacturing by 2020. To strengthen the response, give a concise, accurate overview and support it with selected figures and clearer comparisons across the period.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic sequence, moving from an introduction to an overview and then descriptions of the sector trends. Linking phrases such as “But after that” and “In opposite to this trend” show an attempt to connect contrasting information. However, the overall progression is repetitive: the final sentence restates the rises and declines already described, rather than adding a new comparison. The overview is also difficult to distinguish from the detailed account, and several ideas are crowded into one long paragraph. Organise the report into clear paragraphs—an overview followed by grouped comparisons—and use linking expressions selectively so each sentence advances the description.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “manufacturing,” “agriculture,” “gradual decline,” and “increases,” so the reader can generally identify the trends being discussed. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or repetitive. “Comparisions of four jobs” is not a natural way to describe the chart, while “the trends of job was high” and “jobs raises rapidly” make the meaning less clear. Spelling and capitalisation are also inconsistent, as in “comparisions,” “united state,” and “Retail.” Aim for precise chart language such as “employment,” “rose,” “fell,” and “reached,” and check spelling and sector names carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences using contrast, as in “But after that it shows decline” and “Same is the case with agriculture sector.” However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. Examples include “the trends of job was high,” “which reaches to 20 million,” and “the number of jobs … increases,” where tense, agreement, or sentence construction is faulty. Missing articles and inconsistent punctuation also affect clarity. Practise forming accurate past-tense comparisons, for example, “Manufacturing employment rose to 20 million in 1980, then fell to 13 million by 2020.” Use shorter, complete sentences before attempting longer structures.

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