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)

This line graph illustrates the change in number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 to 2020,and these jobs are in millions.

Overall,it shows upward and downward trend,also a similar trend of two of its sector.Whereas Manufacturing has upward trend,while agriculture sector shows downward.Futhermore retail and healthcare both of them has rose similarly over time.

In 1960,Manufacturing has 15% of jobs in million but its around 20% in 1980 that was the last time it shows its rose after that it goes lower than 15% by 2020.Subsequently agriculture has a decline from the starting of 1960,which fell more by 2020.

In contrast,Retail and healthcare had a constant increase in their jobs from the 1960 to 2020.

Finally over the period of almost 60 years,manufacturing has a dominant sector among all four of them in the economy of US.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the four sectors and give a broad overview of contrasting trends, including the rise in retail and healthcare and the decline in agriculture. However, the overview misstates manufacturing: it rose to a peak in 1980, then fell, rather than having an upward trend overall. The claim that manufacturing remained dominant across the whole period is also inaccurate, as retail and healthcare both reached about 16 million jobs by 2020, above manufacturing at roughly 13 million. Few figures are reported, and agriculture’s change is not quantified. The response is 130 words, below the 150-word minimum, so the account is underdeveloped. Include key values and accurate comparisons to cover the main features more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the trends. This gives the reader some organisation, and phrases such as “In contrast” signal a comparison. However, progression is limited because the final paragraph repeats the idea that retail and healthcare increased, while “Finally” introduces a conclusion that does not clearly follow from the preceding details. Linking is sometimes mechanical, as in “Overall” followed by “Furthermore,” and the relationship between ideas in “Whereas Manufacturing…while agriculture…” is awkward. Group the sectors by trend, then support each group with figures; finish with a concise overview rather than repeating a claim. Clearer sequencing and more precise referencing would make the report easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “decline,” “constant increase,” and “over the period,” and the reader can generally identify the sectors and trends being discussed. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate: “jobs in million” should be “jobs, in millions,” and “has a dominant sector” does not express the intended comparison naturally. “Shows its rose” is also an unclear attempt to describe a rise. Spelling errors such as “Futhermore” are noticeable, while repeated use of “trend” and “jobs” limits variety. Use precise reporting language such as “peaked at,” “fell to,” and “overtook,” and check spelling and collocations when editing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a few complex structures, for example “Whereas Manufacturing has upward trend, while agriculture sector shows downward,” but many sentences contain errors in articles, agreement, tense, or sentence construction. Examples include “a similar trend of two of its sector,” “both of them has rose,” and “Manufacturing has 15% of jobs in million.” The past-tense reporting also shifts inconsistently between “has,” “shows,” and “fell.” Commas are often attached to the following word, and some clauses are joined awkwardly. These errors sometimes make the intended meaning difficult to follow, although the main trends can usually be inferred. Practise accurate simple past forms and complete comparisons before adding more complex clauses.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.