Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 tracks the information on the numbers of jobs in the four sectors of the economy in the US in the time period of 60 years from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, it have four sectors began with manufacturing and ends with healthcare . The jobs were show in millions and describe their trends in line graph . Manufacturing at its peak while agriculture at the lowest point all of the time .

Initially, it begans with manufacturing in 1980 they was on its highest point at 20 millions and declined with time and 13 millions till 2020 . Moreover, healthcare and retail rose up with time healthcare was 5 millions at the year 1980 and increased slightly with time . While on the other hand, retail upcome with trend . Furthermore, in 2000 it was 15 millions so, with time they increased very slow in 2020 it was 16 millions .

In conclusion, agriculture was at 6 millions in 1960 but they declined with time and do not rise in all the time and they or at their lowest in 2020 which was 2 millions worst of that time

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the four sectors and include several relevant figures, such as manufacturing reaching 20 million jobs in 1980 and falling to 13 million by 2020, and agriculture declining to 2 million. However, the overview is unclear and contains a major misrepresentation: manufacturing did not remain at its peak throughout the period, and healthcare did not simply finish as the leading sector; healthcare and retail both reached about 16 million in 2020. Several important trends are also omitted or inaccurately described, including manufacturing’s 1960 starting point and healthcare’s strong rise from 2 million to 16 million. To make the summary more complete, give a clear overview of the contrasting trends and report the main comparisons accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has separate paragraphs and broadly moves from an introduction to an overview and then details, so there is some basic organisation. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the overview is unclear and the body shifts between sectors without a consistent comparison. Linking phrases such as “Moreover,” “While on the other hand,” and “Furthermore” are repetitive or awkwardly connected to the ideas that follow. The final paragraph returns to agriculture but does not provide a clear concluding comparison. Organise the details into logical groups—for example, manufacturing and agriculture, then retail and healthcare—and use straightforward links to show how their trends differ.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “declined,” “increased,” “peak,” and “lowest point,” and the reader can generally identify the sectors being discussed. However, the range is limited and several word choices or combinations are unnatural, such as “tracks the information on the numbers,” “retail upcome with trend,” and “increased very slow.” Some expressions also make the intended comparison difficult to understand, particularly “worst of that time.” Use precise language for chart trends and comparisons, such as “rose steadily,” “fell gradually,” “remained stable,” and “ended at the same level.” Check word forms and collocations so that your vocabulary communicates the data clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

There are attempts to use longer sentences and linking clauses, but many sentences contain errors in basic structures, agreement, verb forms, and punctuation. For example, “it have four sectors began” combines incompatible verb forms, while “they was on its highest point” has agreement and pronoun problems. In “healthcare was 5 millions … and increased slightly,” the trend is not expressed accurately, and several sentences lack clear grammatical connections between clauses. Sentence boundaries and spacing around punctuation are also inconsistent. Practise writing accurate simple sentences first, then combine them with controlled clauses—for example, “Manufacturing peaked at 20 million in 1980 before declining to 13 million in 2020.”

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