Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

The graph illustrates information about the number of jobs in four sectors of economy in the US between the years 1960 and 2020.

The jobs in manufacturing sector were the highest while the jobs in healthcare sector were the lowest in 1960. The jobs in agriculture sector increased while the jobs in retail sector decreased dramatically over the period.

In 1960 the jobs in manufacturing sector were 15 million, both retail and agriculture sector had jobs near 5 million while the jobs in healthcare sector were at the lowest and were less then 3 million. The jobs in manufacturing, retail and healthcare sector increased dramatically in 1980 while they decreased in agriculture sector.

The jobs in manufacturing and agriculture sector decreased slightly in 2000 and also in 2020 while the jobs in retail and healthcare sector kept increasing in 2000

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify several relevant features, including manufacturing’s leading position in 1960 and healthcare’s low starting point, and you give some approximate figures. However, the overview contains major inaccuracies: agriculture did not increase, and retail did not decrease; agriculture generally fell while retail rose. The account also stops before describing the 2020 figures and does not clearly summarise the overall changes across the period. The response is 130 words, below the required 150, which further limits the coverage and development of the key features. To improve, provide a concise, accurate overview of the contrasting trends, then compare the sectors at the end of the period as well as at the start.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic sequence: an introduction, a brief overview, and then details beginning with 1960 and moving to later years. This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, progression is weak because the overview misstates the trends and the final paragraph ends abruptly after mentioning 2000, without completing the comparison through 2020. Repeated openings such as “The jobs in…” also make the writing feel repetitive, while links between time periods and comparisons are limited. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and the main details, and organise the latter either by sector or by time period. Clear contrasts such as “whereas” and “by 2020” would help connect the information.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “manufacturing sector,” “agriculture sector,” “increased,” and “decreased,” and the meaning is generally understandable. There is some variation in describing change, but the range is limited and several phrases are repetitive or imprecise, particularly the repeated “The jobs in…” construction and “kept increasing.” Some collocations are awkward, such as “number of jobs in four sectors of economy”; “the economy” is needed. The word “dramatically” is also used without a clear basis for describing the size of the changes. Aim for more precise trend language, such as “rose steadily,” “declined,” or “remained stable,” and vary how you refer to employment in each sector.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You communicate the main subject using mostly simple sentence patterns, and some longer sentences attempt to compare trends. However, grammatical control is uneven. For example, “both retail and agriculture sector had jobs” has a number-agreement problem, and “less then 3 million” contains an error in the comparative form. Articles are also often missing in phrases such as “in manufacturing sector” and “in 1960,” where “the manufacturing sector” is needed. The final sentence is incomplete in its coverage and ends without punctuation. Practise accurate articles and singular/plural agreement, and use a wider range of controlled sentence structures to compare changes across the full period.

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