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

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The line graph provide the informationabout the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the United State between the year 1960 and 2020.

Overall, manufacturing was the largest employer in1960 but declined after 1980, while retail and healthcare showed a continuous upward trend. In contrast, agriculture was the smallest and saw a significant drop.

In 1960, manufacturing accounted 15 million jobs and peaked at about 20 million in 1980. Agriculture started at around 6 million in 1960 and drop sharply approximately 2 million in 2020.

Retail and healthcare both increased

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies several relevant features: manufacturing was highest at the start, peaked in 1980, and then declined, while agriculture fell. However, the report is very incomplete: it stops just as it begins to discuss retail and healthcare, so their key figures and comparison are missing. The overview also says retail and healthcare rose continuously, but gives no supporting details; healthcare rose from 2 to 16 million and retail from 6 to 16 million, with retail slightly higher in 2000. Agriculture’s final figure is correctly reported, though its fall is described imprecisely. The response contains 81 words, below the required 150; the 12 words copied from the prompt are excluded. Add a complete account of all four series and their main comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic, sensible structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph with some figures. The overview’s contrast between rising sectors and declining agriculture helps orient the reader, and “In contrast” is used appropriately. However, the response ends with the unfinished statement “Retail and healthcare both increased,” so the progression is abruptly cut off and the final paragraph contains no supporting data. The body also does not group or compare the series in a developed way. Complete the final paragraph with figures and comparisons, and use clear paragraphing to move from the overall trends to the most important details. This would make the organisation more complete and easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for communicating the main topic, with relevant terms such as “largest employer,” “peaked,” “declined,” and “upward trend.” These choices show some ability to describe movement and compare sectors. However, the range is narrow because the response is short, and a few expressions are inaccurate or awkward: “saw a significant drop” is not well matched to the stated fall from 6 to 2 million, while “drop sharply approximately 2 million” is unclear. There are also visible spacing and spelling issues in “informationabout” and “in1960.” Aim for precise trend language and accurate collocations, such as “fell to approximately 2 million” and “employment in retail increased.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple sentences and a more complex overview sentence using “while” and “In contrast,” and the main meaning is generally understandable. However, errors occur in basic sentence patterns: “The line graph provide” needs subject–verb agreement, and “manufacturing accounted 15 million jobs” is missing the preposition “for.” The phrase “Agriculture … drop sharply” also has an incorrect verb form, and the final line is a sentence fragment because it gives no further information after “increased.” Spacing around words and punctuation is inconsistent. Check agreement, verb tense, and required prepositions, and ensure each sentence is complete. More accurate control of these forms would make the report clearer.

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