Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-12

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 illustrates the data of jobs in four parts of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, it is clear that manufacturing had maximum jobs, while the healthcare recorded less than from others jobs.

In 1960, around 2 millions jobs in healthcare of the economy in the US, however it slightly rise at the end of 1980. Jobs are dramatically increased in healthcare sector approximately 11 millions. Agriculture jobs recorded approximately 6 millions in 1960, but it was decline in 1980. There was nothing rise of jobs in agriculture ssector at the end of 2020.

While, retail sector was recorded around 6 millions in 1960. In 1980, retail sector was slightly increased till in 2020, however there was no special rise at the the end 2020. Manufacturing sector was the highest among other sectors which was recorded almost 15 millions jobs at the start in 1960, but it was continousely decline over tthe period..

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the four sectors and include several relevant figures, such as healthcare at about 2 million jobs in 1960 and 11 million in 2000, and manufacturing at 15 million initially. However, the overview is inaccurate: manufacturing did not remain the largest throughout, since retail and healthcare both reached about 16 million by 2020, above manufacturing at 13 million. Healthcare was not consistently the smallest either. Several trends are also unclear or misreported: retail rose steadily from 6 to 16 million, while agriculture fell from 6 to 2 million, with little change between 1980 and 2000. The response therefore covers the task only partially, with limited selection and development of the main comparisons. Give a precise overview and report the end-point trends accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has some organisation: it begins with an introduction and overview, then discusses healthcare and agriculture before moving to retail and manufacturing. This gives the reader a basic sense of the chart’s categories. However, progression is not consistently clear, and the comparisons are scattered rather than grouped by meaningful patterns. Linking words such as “however” and “while” are sometimes used in ways that do not clearly connect the ideas, and the repeated sentence openings make the account feel list-like. Paragraphing is also not used to distinguish the overview from the detailed comparisons. Organise the body into clear groups—for example, rising sectors and declining sectors—and use linking expressions only where the relationship between figures is clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “sector,” “recorded,” “increased,” and “decline,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the meaning difficult to follow. For example, “manufacturing had maximum jobs” is not a natural way to describe the highest figure, and “there was nothing rise” does not clearly express that agriculture changed very little. There are also spelling errors such as “continousely” and “ssector.” Aim for precise trend language and accurate forms, such as “peaked at,” “rose steadily,” “fell,” and “remained stable.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including a contrast with “however” and a clause beginning “which,” but the longer structures are often faulty. Errors in verb forms and agreement occur frequently: “it slightly rise,” “jobs are dramatically increased,” and “it was decline” should use appropriate past-tense forms. There are also problems with articles, plurals, and sentence construction, as in “2 millions jobs” and “manufacturing sector was the highest … which was recorded.” These errors sometimes make relationships between ideas unclear, although the general subject can usually be understood. Practise accurate past-tense descriptions and build longer sentences around one clear comparison at a time.

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