Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-13

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 5.5)

The line graph illustrates the data on employment opportunities in the US of four different sectors, Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and healthcare in the period 1960 to 2020.

Overall, some industries had more opportunities than others especially in the early years, however there was a shift. Initially production had produced the highest jobs in the US. Retail and Agriculture sectors gradually with the later falling over the years.

In 1960, Manufacturing had 15 million jobs available, followed by Reatail and Agriculture which the same figures of approximately 6 million vacancies. Healthcare industry had below 5 million jod offers. During the next 20 years production reached its peak of 20 million whereas Retail business was graduaally increasing its counterpart was decreasing. There was a stead rise of employment in the Healthcare to 16 million in 2020.

Between 200 and 2020, Healthcare and Manufacturing had the same openings of around 14 million jobs. Despite being more popular Manufacturing reduced its rate of employment to nearly 13 million. However in 2020, both Retail and Healthcare had around 16 million jobs which was the greatest.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the four sectors and give several relevant figures, including manufacturing’s peak at 20 million in 1980 and the joint high of about 16 million for retail and healthcare in 2020. However, the overview is unclear and does not accurately summarise the main changes: retail and healthcare rose overall, while agriculture declined and manufacturing fell after peaking. The statement that “Retail and Agriculture sectors gradually” is incomplete, and the later claim that healthcare and manufacturing had the same openings “between 200 and 2020” is confusing and inaccurate; in 2020 healthcare was about 16 million and manufacturing about 13 million. A clearer overview and more accurate comparisons across the period would make the report more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview and paragraphs containing details, and it generally follows the timeline. Some linking words, such as “Overall,” “During the next 20 years” and “However,” help guide the reader. However, progression is weakened by incomplete or unclear statements, particularly “Retail and Agriculture sectors gradually with the later falling over the years.” The final paragraph also shifts between the 2000–2020 comparison and the 2020 figures without clearly distinguishing them. Use one paragraph for the overall trends and organise the details by period or by sector, with explicit comparisons and clearer references, to make the sequence easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “peak,” “decreasing,” “employment” and “openings,” so the general subject is clear. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a graph: “opportunities,” “vacancies” and “job offers” suggest advertised positions rather than the number of people employed, while “production” is not a precise substitute for manufacturing. Spelling errors such as “Reatail,” “graduaally” and “jod” also reduce accuracy. Aim for consistent, precise terms such as “jobs,” “employment” and “the number of people employed,” and check spelling carefully. This would make the vocabulary more reliable and appropriate to an academic data summary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast introduced by “Despite” and a time clause beginning “During the next 20 years.” However, errors in sentence construction and grammatical control are frequent enough to make some statements difficult to interpret. For example, “Retail and Agriculture sectors gradually with the later falling over the years” lacks a complete verb structure, and “Retail and Agriculture which the same figures” is missing a verb. The phrase “Between 200 and 2020” also gives an unclear time reference. Practise building complete clauses with clear subjects and verbs, and check agreement and tense consistency; for example, “Retail and agriculture both had about six million jobs in 1960.”

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