Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-15

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 below gives information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020.

overall, the number of jobs in manufacturing and agriculture is gradually decreased, while the number of jobs in retail and healthcare is significantly increased.

It is clearly seen in chart that numbers of jobs in retail is gradually increased. In 1960 it was 6 million and in 2020 it was 16 million. The number of jobs in healthcare is increased from 1960 to 2020, in 1960 it was approximately 3 million and in 2020 it was 16 million.

However, the number of jobs in manufacturing and agriculture is decreased. In agriculture its drop from 5 million to 2 million, also the number of jobs in retails decreased from 1960 to 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the broad contrast between rising employment in retail and healthcare and falling employment in agriculture, and you include some figures, such as retail increasing from 6 to 16 million. However, the overview is inaccurate because manufacturing did not decline throughout the period: it rose to about 20 million in 1980 before falling to 13 million. The agriculture figures are also misreported (about 6 million in 1960, not 5), and the final claim that retail decreased contradicts the chart. Healthcare began at about 2 million, rather than 3. The response is also below the required 150 words, limiting the detail and comparisons provided. Include the main turning points and check each figure against the graph before summarising it.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic structure: an opening, a general overview, and paragraphs describing increases and decreases. This gives the reader some sense of how the information is grouped. However, progression is limited because the same broad trends are repeated, and the final sentence introduces a contradictory claim about retail rather than completing the comparison. Linking words such as “However” are used, but the relationship they signal is not always clear. Organise the body around meaningful comparisons—for example, the peak and subsequent fall in manufacturing alongside the steady rises in retail and healthcare—and use clear references to avoid repeating “the number of jobs.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant basic terms such as “increased,” “decreased,” and “approximately,” so the main subject is generally understandable. However, the vocabulary is repetitive, and several phrases are not natural or precise for describing a graph. For example, “gradually increased” is repeated even though the chart shows different patterns, and “retails” is not the appropriate sector label; use “retail” or “the retail sector.” “Its drop” is also an awkward way to describe a decline. A wider set of accurate trend expressions, such as “rose steadily,” “peaked,” “fell,” and “remained stable,” would help you distinguish the four series more clearly and avoid relying on the same verbs.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You communicate the main ideas using mostly simple sentences, and some sentence boundaries are clear. There are also attempts to combine information, as in “In 1960 it was 6 million and in 2020 it was 16 million.” However, verb forms and subject–verb agreement are often inaccurate: “the number … is gradually decreased” and “numbers of jobs … is” should be formed with an appropriate past-tense verb and agreement. The sentence beginning “In agriculture its drop” is incomplete, and several clauses are joined with commas where full stops or conjunctions are needed. Use past simple consistently for this historical period, and practise complete comparative sentences with accurate agreement and punctuation.

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