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 emplyoment percentage in four different economical sector's over a time period of 60 years.

Overall, Manufacturing company had high ratio of jobs which increased from 15 million to 20 millions between 1960 to 1980. At that time two sectors were rising gradually Healthcare and Retail possed significant jobs where as Retail had 6 million jobs in the 1960's. Where has healthcare was newley emerging field and prdocuded highest jobs respectively to retail.

Agriculture sectors was at the lowest where the job market was at 6 million and showed a decline over decades.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the four sectors and report the manufacturing peak of 20 million jobs, as well as agriculture’s decline from 6 million. However, the response only partially summarises the graph: it omits the later fall in manufacturing, the substantial growth in retail and healthcare, and the fact that retail and healthcare both reach about 16 million by 2020. Some comparisons are also unclear or inaccurate, such as saying healthcare was a “newly emerging field” and that it produced the highest jobs relative to retail. There is no clear overview of the main changes across the full period. The response is also 53 words below the required minimum, leaving too little space to select and explain the key features. Include a concise overview and cover the main trends through 2020.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure, with an introduction followed by comments on the sectors, and it uses a few linking expressions such as “Overall,” “whereas,” and “between.” These give the reader some sense of organisation. However, there is no clear progression through the graph: the second paragraph moves between manufacturing, healthcare, and retail, while the final paragraph returns to agriculture without connecting it to the other trends. Several links are difficult to follow, particularly “At that time two sectors were rising gradually” and “Where has healthcare…”. Organise the body by comparing related trends, and use clear references to the years and sectors so each point follows logically from the previous one.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “line graph,” “jobs,” “sector,” “increased,” and “decline,” so the topic is recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the meaning unclear. For example, “emplyoment percentage” does not describe the graph accurately because it shows numbers of jobs, not percentages; “Manufacturing company” refers to a company rather than a sector; and “possessed significant jobs” is unnatural. Spelling errors such as “emplyoment,” “newley,” and “prdocuded” also reduce clarity. Aim for precise terms such as “number of jobs,” “employment in manufacturing,” and “rose steadily,” and check spelling before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine ideas using clauses and contrast, for example in “where as Retail had 6 million jobs,” but the response relies mainly on simple or incomplete sentence patterns, and complex attempts are often faulty. Errors in agreement and number appear in “Manufacturing company had high ratio” and “Agriculture sectors was at the lowest.” Tense and sentence construction are also unclear in “Where has healthcare was newley emerging field,” making the comparison difficult to understand. The phrase “between 1960 to 1980” also uses an incorrect preposition pattern. Practise accurate past-tense descriptions and complete comparative sentences, such as “Manufacturing employment rose from 15 million in 1960 to 20 million in 1980, before declining.”

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