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)

This line graph illustrates the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020. The four sectors were manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare. The unit is measured in millions.

Overall healthcare showed significant growth from approximately 0% to 16%. In contrast, agriculture showed a considerable downward trend from 6% to 0%.

Looking at the details, manufacturing jobs started at 15 millions in 1960, peaked at 20 million in 1980, then stradly dropped to roughly 12.5 million by 2020

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response identifies the chart’s subject and gives a brief overview of two genuine trends: healthcare rises and agriculture declines. However, the overview misstates both endpoints: healthcare begins at about 2 million jobs, not 0%, and agriculture ends at about 2 million, not zero. The account also stops after manufacturing, omitting the key development in retail and most comparisons across the four sectors. The manufacturing figures are broadly relevant, although “roughly 12.5 million” is slightly below the chart’s approximate 13 million. The response contains only 68 words, below the required 150, so it is substantially incomplete. Add a fuller overview and report the main changes for all sectors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview beginning “Overall,” and a detail paragraph introduced by “Looking at the details.” This gives the reader a basic route through the information, and the contrast between healthcare and agriculture is signalled clearly. However, the final paragraph ends abruptly after the manufacturing trend, so there is no progression to retail or further comparisons. The short length also leaves the organisation underdeveloped. To improve, use a complete paragraph for the overview and group the detailed trends logically—for example, rising sectors together and declining sectors together—using links such as “Meanwhile” and “By comparison” where they clarify relationships.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally understandable and includes relevant chart language such as “significant growth,” “downward trend,” “peaked,” and “roughly.” These choices show some ability to describe movement and comparison. However, several expressions are inaccurate or awkward: “0%” confuses a percentage with a number of jobs, “15 millions” uses the wrong plural form, and “stradly” appears to be a misspelling or mistaken word. “Considerable downward trend” is also less natural than a standard collocation such as “marked decline.” The limited range partly reflects the very short response. Use precise units consistently and vary trend language to describe rises, falls, and levelling off.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses mostly clear simple sentence structures, and the opening sentence accurately introduces the graph’s subject. There is also an attempt to use a more complex contrast structure in “In contrast, agriculture showed…”. However, the range is narrow, with little sentence variety, and some grammatical forms are inaccurate. In “15 millions,” the count noun should be singular after a number; the final detail sentence also lacks a full stop. The last sentence is incomplete in presentation, ending without punctuation and leaving the account unfinished. Practise combining accurate clauses to compare sectors and check number forms and sentence boundaries. More complete sentences would allow you to demonstrate a wider range while keeping the data clear.

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