Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-17

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 chart illustrates the in formation about the numbers of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the USA between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, chart describes four types of jobs Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare.indicates With different type of arrows in chart

In 1960, Manufacturing on top with almost 15million jobs in US. followed by Retail and Agriculture with 6million jobs in US. and jobs for healthcare in US was very rare with only 3million. In 1980, jobs in Manufacturing increases to 20million and Retail increase slightly to 10million and healthcare also increase to 5million and Agriculture decreases from 6 to 3million and

In 2000. Manufacturing and healthcare slightly decreases while Retail and Agriculture jobs increases. In 2020, Manufacturing and agriculture jobs decreases to 13million and 2million in US. while Retail and Healthcare jobs gradually increase to 16million job in US this are the jobs ratio in US from 1960 to 2020

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify all four sectors and report several key figures, including manufacturing’s peak at 20 million in 1980 and the later rise in retail and healthcare. However, the overview is not effective: it mainly lists the sectors and refers vaguely to “different type of arrows,” rather than summarising the main trends. There is also a factual error in saying manufacturing and healthcare both decreased in 2000; healthcare rose from 5 to 11 million, while agriculture stayed at about 3 million. The final sentence is unclear about which sectors reached 16 million. The response is 144 words, below the 150-word minimum; the 10 words copied from the prompt are excluded. Add a clear overview and report the comparisons accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the timeline from 1960 to 2020, which gives the reader a basic sense of sequence, and it attempts an overall statement before the details. However, the overview is not separated clearly from the data description, and most information is crowded into one long paragraph. Linking words such as “followed by,” “while,” and “In 2020” help connect some comparisons, but the repeated year-by-year pattern becomes mechanical, and the final clause is difficult to follow. The sentence beginning “In 1980” also runs on and ends with “and,” leaving the progression incomplete. Use distinct overview and detail paragraphs, and group related trends—for example, rising sectors together and declining sectors together.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant topic vocabulary such as “Manufacturing,” “Retail,” “Agriculture,” “Healthcare,” “increases,” and “decreases,” so the reader can generally identify the subject and direction of change. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or awkward, including “the graph chart,” “jobs was very rare,” and “jobs ratio.” “Different type of arrows” does not clearly describe the information shown. There are also spelling and spacing problems, such as “in formation,” which reduce the polish of the report. Aim for precise chart language and natural collocations, such as “the number of jobs,” “employment,” “rose to,” and “remained stable.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You attempt both simple statements and longer comparisons, but control is inconsistent. Errors occur in verb agreement and tense, as in “Manufacturing increases” and “Retail increase,” where past-tense forms are needed for this historical period. Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also weak: the 1980 sentence ends with “and,” while “In 2000.” is incorrectly separated from the following clause. Other examples, such as “Healthcare.indicates” and “this are the jobs ratio,” show problems with sentence construction and agreement. These errors sometimes make relationships between figures unclear. Practise forming complete past-tense sentences, using commas and full stops to separate comparisons, and checking subject–verb agreement.

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