Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The given line graph provides the data for the job opportunities in US in four different economic sectors between 1960 to 2020.

Overall, manufacturing sector recorded with highest number of jobs. In contrast, agriculture industry was recorded with fewest jobs.

Starting with the manufacturing sector, 15 million jobs were available in the statring of period in 1960 which increased to 20 million in 1980 which was its peak level. After this growth, a notable fall came in this industry and reached to 17 million in 2000 and 13 million in 2020. Opposite to this, healthcare industry was playing a major role in providing jobs, starting with 3 million in 1960 which reached to 5 milion in 1980 and 11 million in 2000. At last it was recorded with 16 million jobs in 2020.

. It was first recorded with 6 million in 1960, 10 million in 1980, 15 million in 2000 and 16 million in 2020 on its peak. Now turning to the sector which provided fewest jobs which is Agriculture with 6 million , 3 million, 3 million, and 2 million in 1960, 1980, 2000 and 2020 respectivelty,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall contrast: manufacturing begins as the largest employer, while agriculture remains the smallest by the end, and you report the broad rise in healthcare and retail alongside the decline in manufacturing after 1980. Most figures are consistent with the chart. However, the overview is not fully accurate: manufacturing is not the largest sector throughout, since retail and healthcare both reach about 16 million jobs in 2020, compared with manufacturing at 13 million. Healthcare also starts at about 2 million, not 3 million. The retail paragraph begins with a stray full stop and no sector label, making its figures less clear. To strengthen the report, state the end-of-period ranking accurately and ensure each trend is clearly identified.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to descriptions of the sectors, and phrases such as “After this growth” and “Opposite to this” attempt to guide comparisons. However, progression is weakened by the abrupt paragraph beginning “. It was first recorded,” where the reader must infer that the figures refer to retail. The final sentence also ends without a clear concluding structure, and the sequence of sector descriptions is not consistently signposted. Use a separate, complete paragraph for retail, name the sector at the start, and group related trends logically. More precise referencing and less mechanical transitions would make the organisation easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of task-related vocabulary, including “peak level,” “notable fall,” “increased,” and “fewest jobs,” so the main trends are generally understandable. Some choices are unnatural or imprecise, however: “job opportunities” is less accurate than “number of jobs,” and “recorded with highest number” does not collocate naturally. There are also spelling errors such as “statring,” “milion,” and “respectivelty,” which reduce control. Aim for concise, standard chart language—for example, “employment in manufacturing peaked at 20 million” and “agriculture had the fewest jobs.” Check spelling and avoid repeating “recorded” when describing values.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses linked with “which” and contrastive phrasing such as “After this growth.” The main meaning is usually clear, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “between 1960 to 2020” uses the wrong preposition pattern; write “between 1960 and 2020.” In “manufacturing sector recorded with highest number,” the verb construction and article use are faulty, while “starting with 3 million in 1960 which reached to 5 million” has an unclear clause attachment and an unnecessary preposition after “reached.” The final sentence is also incomplete in punctuation and structure. Practise accurate sentence framing and check articles, verb patterns, and sentence boundaries.

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.