Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The given line graphs display the number of jobs in four different sectors of the economy in the USA, dating from 1960 to 2020. Let's discuss this information in detail.

First, taking about the manufacturing sector. Compared to other sectors, the largest number of jobs were in the manufacturing sector, comprising 15 million in 1960, and over the next six decades, it varied slightly.

Next, both the retail and agriculture sectors had an equal number of jobs in 1960. But the retail sector has gradually increased, whereas the opposite has happened in agriculture, which has the lowest number of jobs in 2020.

The healthcare sector, which had the least number of jobs in 60's now has an equal number of jobs to the retail sector, which is slightly greater than 15 million

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify several relevant features: manufacturing starts highest at 15 million, retail and agriculture are equal in 1960, agriculture ends lowest, and healthcare rises to match retail by 2020. However, the account is very brief and does not give a clear overview of the main changes across the period. Saying manufacturing “varied slightly” obscures its rise to 20 million in 1980 and subsequent fall to 13 million. The retail and healthcare trends are also not supported with intermediate figures, and the final comparison is incomplete. The response is 18 words below the required minimum, which contributes to the limited coverage. Include a concise overview and select key figures to show the contrasting trends.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a generally understandable sequence, moving from manufacturing to retail and agriculture, then healthcare. Linking expressions such as “First,” “Next,” and “whereas” help signal the relationships between points, and the ideas are grouped by sector. However, the opening promise to “discuss this information in detail” is not followed by a developed account, and the paragraphing and progression feel more like a list than a connected summary of the graph. The final sentence also ends without a full stop, making the ending feel abrupt. Organise the report into an overview followed by grouped comparisons, and use links that show how the sectors’ trends relate to one another.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a suitable range of basic terms for describing the graph, including “sector,” “gradually increased,” “opposite,” and “lowest.” These choices make the main comparisons understandable. However, some phrasing is imprecise or unnatural for an academic report: “taking about the manufacturing sector” and “comprising 15 million” do not express the intended information smoothly, while “varied slightly” is too vague to describe a rise followed by a decline. “The opposite has happened” is also less precise than directly stating that agricultural employment fell. Aim for concise, accurate trend vocabulary and avoid conversational framing such as “Let’s discuss this information in detail.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the contrast in “the retail sector has gradually increased, whereas the opposite has happened in agriculture.” Most of the meaning remains clear. Some grammatical choices are less controlled, however. “First, taking about the manufacturing sector” is a sentence fragment, and “in 60’s” is missing the article and apostrophe convention needed for “the 1960s.” The final sentence also lacks terminal punctuation. There is some variety in sentence structure, but the report would be clearer with complete sentences and consistent past-tense descriptions of the historical data. Check articles, sentence boundaries, and punctuation when editing.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.