Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-14

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 provided line chart indicates information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020.

As can be seen from the line chart, the manufacturing sector provided 15 million job in the year 1960 which was highest among all. It surged by 5 million in the year 1980 and reached 20 million in the year 1980. After that it fell continiously and reached to 13 millions in the year 2020. The retail sector provided 5 million job in the year 1960 which was 3rd of the manufacturing. The retail sector increased gradually over 2 decade and it provided 15 million jobs in the year 2000. The graph remained the same in the year 2020.

Additionally, the agriculture sector provided as equal jobs as retail sector in the year 1960. After that it declined by 2 million jobs in the year 1980 and it remained steady till year 2020. The healthcare sector provided 2 million jobs in the beginning and it increased by 3 million jobs in the year 1980. The jobs by healthcare sector were more than twice compared to 1980. It skyrocketed and reached to 15 million in the year 2020.

To conclude, the manufacturing sector provided highest jobs in the year 1960 however, it declined over the period. The jobs provided by healthcare sector greadually increased and it was as eqaul as retail sector in the year 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover all four sectors and identify the main broad patterns: manufacturing peaks before declining, agriculture falls, and healthcare rises. The concluding comparison that healthcare and retail are equal in 2020 is also accurate. However, several figures or comparisons are inaccurate: retail starts at 6 million, not 5 million; it reaches 16 million in 2020 rather than remaining at 15 million; and agriculture falls from 6 to 3 million by 1980, then declines to about 2 million by 2020, rather than staying steady throughout. The overview is mostly repeated in the conclusion, while the key final ranking and the crossover between sectors could be clearer. More precise reporting of these features would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure, with an introduction, two body paragraphs and a concluding summary. Grouping manufacturing and retail before agriculture and healthcare makes the information reasonably easy to follow, and phrases such as “After that” signal changes over time. However, the progression is sometimes weakened by unclear or repetitive phrasing. For example, “reached 20 million in the year 1980” repeats the preceding reference to 1980, and “The graph remained the same” does not clearly identify which figure or sector is meant. The conclusion largely restates earlier points rather than synthesising the main comparisons. Use more precise references and connect the sectors’ changing rankings to create smoother progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of trend vocabulary, including “surged,” “declined,” “remained steady” and “skyrocketed,” so the reader can generally understand the changes being described. However, some choices are inaccurate or unnatural for chart reporting: “the graph remained the same” is vague, and “the retail sector provided 5 million job” uses an unsuitable singular form and collocation. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “continiously,” “greadually” and “eqaul,” which reduce the accuracy of the vocabulary. Some trend words are stronger than the data warrants; for example, “skyrocketed” may overstate the steady rise in healthcare. Aim for precise, neutral terms and check spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more developed sentence forms, including clauses with “which” and time links such as “After that,” and the overall meaning is usually understandable. However, errors recur in sentence construction and grammatical forms. For example, “which was highest among all” is missing an article, while “reached to 13 millions” has an unnecessary preposition and an incorrect plural form. In “The jobs by healthcare sector were more than twice compared to 1980,” the comparison is not grammatically complete or clear. Some sentences also repeat time phrases, as in the manufacturing description. Work on articles, singular and plural forms, and constructing complete comparisons; then proofread each sentence for accurate tense and structure.

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