Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-16

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 line graph shows illustrates of number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in us between 1960 till 2020.

In 1960 manufacturing was highest jobs was 15% compare to retail and agriculture was same 5% jobs.and healthcare jobs was lowest it was 2%.in 1980 manufacturing rapidly increase upto 20% jobs and slight changes in this year two sectors retails jobs increase to 5% more its now 10% jobs and healthcare was 4% lowest jobs was agriculture 3% jobs

In 2000 again manufacturing increase upto 17% jobs and retails was increase 5% more jobs compare to 1980 it is 15% jobs and lowest jobs are agrivulture and healthcare is 3% jobs and in 2020 biggest changes are highest wasretails and healthcare it was 15% jobs and lowest was agriculture and manufacturing was 9% decrease jobs

overall conculsion is 2020 highest sector is retails and healthcare was 15% more jobs and lowest was agriculture 4%

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify the main sectors and make some relevant comparisons, including manufacturing’s peak in 1980 and the growth of retail and healthcare. However, several figures and trends are inaccurate: agriculture was 6 million, not 5 million, in 1960; healthcare was 5 million in 1980, not 4; and manufacturing fell from 17 million in 2000 to 13 million in 2020, rather than showing a 9% decrease. The final overview also gives 15 million for the leading sectors, whereas both reached about 16 million. The overview is brief and does not clearly summarise the contrasting long-term trends. The response is 145 words, below the 150-word minimum, with 10 words copied from the prompt excluded from the count. Report the key trends accurately and develop the overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic chronological structure, moving from 1960 to 1980, 2000 and 2020, and the concluding sentence attempts to summarise the final year. This gives the reader some sense of progression. However, the information is crowded into long, loosely connected sentences, and punctuation does not reliably separate comparisons—for example, the 1960 figures run together in “same 5% jobs.and healthcare.” Linking is also repetitive, with “and” and “in” doing much of the work, while “overall conclusion” introduces a summary that repeats some earlier information rather than drawing the trends together. Use clear paragraphs, one main comparison per sentence, and linking expressions such as “by contrast” or “while” to make relationships easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “highest,” “lowest,” “increase,” and “decrease,” so the general subject is usually recognisable. However, the range is basic and repetitive, and several word choices or forms make the report awkward or unclear: “shows illustrates,” “biggest changes,” and “manufacturing was 9% decrease jobs.” There are also spelling errors such as “agrivulture,” “conculsion,” and “retails.” The repeated use of “jobs” after every figure is unnecessary, and percentages are used where the chart reports numbers of jobs in millions. Aim for precise chart language, such as “employment,” “rose to,” and “declined to,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts to report several years and comparisons, but grammatical control is weak and errors frequently make relationships difficult to interpret. Examples include “manufacturing was highest jobs was 15%,” “retails jobs increase to 5% more,” and “manufacturing was 9% decrease jobs.” Verb forms and agreement are often faulty, and sentence boundaries are unclear: the 1960 description contains a full stop followed immediately by “and healthcare,” while later clauses are joined without adequate punctuation. Most sentences follow a similar simple pattern, with little accurate use of subordinate clauses or comparison structures. Practise forming complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, consistent past-tense reporting, and accurate structures such as “Retail employment rose from 6 million to 10 million.”

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.