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)

Overview, the Diagrams indicates that the given information about the several number of employments in four sectors of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020. In my opinion, Manufacturing sector would increase as compare to other sectors whereas the slope of the retail and healthcare sectors would inclined togather at same point of time.

To begin with the graph shows that the manufacturing sector would increase by 20% in 1980 as contrast to agriculture that is around by 3%. The slope of the graph going downwards frequently in manufacturing by 13% in 2020 in addition to agriculture which is constant till 2000 and decreased by 2% approx in 2020.

Furthermore, earlier the retail sector would increase by 1980 from 6% to 10% approx thereforethe healthcare sector would also grow with a same pace

in 1980 by 5% and both the sectors continuously inclined till 2020 around by 16%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the four sectors and report several relevant trends, including manufacturing’s peak in 1980, agriculture’s decline, and growth in retail and healthcare. However, the overview is unclear and includes an inaccurate comparison: manufacturing does not increase relative to the other sectors across the whole period, and retail and healthcare do not meet at the same point until 2020. Some figures are also described as percentages, although the chart measures jobs in millions. The response is under the required 150 words, which limits how fully you can summarise and compare the data. Add a clear overview of the main changes and rankings, then support it with accurate figures and comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure, with an opening overview followed by two paragraphs that group manufacturing with agriculture and retail with healthcare. This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, progression is weakened by the unclear opening and by links that do not express the intended relationships accurately, such as “therefore” before the healthcare trend. The phrase “the slope ... going downwards frequently” also makes the sequence difficult to follow. Use a concise overview, then organise details by clear comparisons or time periods. Choose linking words for their precise meaning and make sure each sentence connects logically to the one before it.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “sector,” “increase,” “decreased,” “constant,” and “continuously inclined,” so the reader can recognise the broad trends being described. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes obscures meaning. For example, “number of employments” is not a natural way to describe the data, “slope ... inclined” is awkward, and “increase by 20%” misrepresents a figure measured in millions. There is also a typing error in “thereforethe.” Aim for precise terms such as “number of jobs,” “rose to,” and “declined to,” and use “million” rather than percentages when reporting the chart’s units.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, including clauses introduced by “whereas” and “in addition to,” and the broad meaning is often recoverable. However, errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction are frequent enough to make several sentences difficult to interpret. For instance, “the Diagrams indicates” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “the retail sector would increase” uses an unsuitable tense for describing a completed chart period. The opening sentence is also incomplete or awkwardly formed. Describe the graph in the past simple, check singular and plural agreement, and build each comparison as a complete sentence with a clear subject and verb.

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