Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

The graph gives the information about the jobs of people given by us between 1960 to 2020.

In the start of 1960 us had given 15 jobs to the people and it increases after that. From 1960 to 1980 jobs given by us is increases from 15 to 20.

The jobs are increased to 5 as compared to 1960 and people get more opportunities of jobs.

But in 2000 jobs gradualy decreases 17 because of the low economy after that the opportunity of jobs decreases.

In 2020 jobs are more decreases as compared to 1980.

In 1980 people get 20 jobs but in 2020 jobs are decreased to 13 because of the economy.

In sector of retail jobs are just 5 in 1960 but it increases to 10 in 1980. It also increases to 15 in 2020 and people get more opportunities but after that i increase to only 1 in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify the graph’s broad subject and report some manufacturing figures, including the rise from 15 million jobs in 1960 to 20 million in 1980 and the later fall to 13 million in 2020. However, the response covers only manufacturing and retail, leaving agriculture and healthcare unreported, and it does not give a clear overview of the main patterns across all four sectors. Some details are inaccurate or unclear: retail is described as rising to 15 in 2020, although it is about 16, and the final claim that it then increases by only one is confusing. Explanations such as changes being “because of the economy” are not shown by the graph. Select the key trends for every sector and avoid unsupported causes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The response follows a basic time sequence, first discussing manufacturing and then retail, and phrases such as “From 1960 to 1980” help signal the period being described. However, the ideas are not arranged into a clear report structure: there is no distinct overview, and the manufacturing discussion repeats the same comparison between 1980 and 2020. Connections such as “But,” “after that,” and “as compared to” are used mechanically or leave the relationship between ideas unclear. The final retail sentence is especially difficult to follow because it says the figure reaches 15 in 2020 and then rises by one in 2020. Group the information into an introduction, overview, and logically organised detail paragraphs, using clear comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some relevant vocabulary, including “increases,” “decreases,” “opportunities,” and “sector,” so the reader can recognise the general topic and direction of change. However, the range is repetitive, and several phrases are imprecise or unnatural for describing a graph, such as “jobs given by us,” “jobs are more decreases,” and “jobs are just 5.” Spelling errors such as “gradualy” also reduce accuracy. Choose standard trend language and use it consistently: for example, describe the number of jobs as “rose,” “fell,” or “remained stable,” and refer to employment figures rather than jobs being given. More precise vocabulary would make the comparisons clearer without adding unsupported explanations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple sentences and longer clauses, for example, “From 1960 to 1980 jobs given by us is increases from 15 to 20.” However, verb forms and sentence construction are often inaccurate, as in “is increases,” “jobs are decreased,” and “it increase to only 1.” Tense and agreement problems recur, and some sentences combine ideas without a clear grammatical relationship, making the intended meaning difficult to follow. Articles and prepositions are also not consistently controlled, as in “in the start of 1960.” Practise forming accurate past-tense descriptions of chart trends, such as “Manufacturing employment rose from 15 million in 1960 to 20 million in 1980,” before attempting longer comparisons.

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