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)

We would compare the 60 years of comparison between job sectors.

First of all manufacturing was a great opportunity for the people in 1960s and in was on it's peak as a most paying job in 1980 because it made progress in last 20 years. But from 2000 to 2020 it's opportunities started decreasing.

Then in retail sector it was not great from the start but gradually it went to it's peak as a great opportunity for the people as a job and for economy.

Then we would talk about the Agriculture, It is one of the most ancient work for people for centuries but in last 60 years it went not that great and not as paying work as it is hard.

For healthcare, it went gradually the most paying and benefical work as a job for the economy of US, because there was not much doctors in the 1960 as compared to 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify all four sectors and describe several broad directions, including manufacturing rising before falling and agriculture declining. However, the response only minimally fulfils the chart-summary task because it focuses on whether jobs were “paying” or “great opportunities,” which the graph does not show, and it gives almost no accurate numerical comparisons. The overview is also missing: the key features are that manufacturing was highest in 1980 before declining, while retail and healthcare rose and both reached about 16 million by 2020; agriculture fell to the lowest level. Some claims are inaccurate or unsupported, such as healthcare becoming the “most paying” work and manufacturing being the most paying sector. Report employment numbers and trends rather than inferred wages or social explanations.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic sequence, moving from manufacturing to retail, agriculture and healthcare, and words such as “First of all” and “Then” help signal the topic changes. However, the organisation is repetitive and does not build towards a clear overview or comparison. Each sector is treated separately, so important relationships—such as retail and healthcare both reaching around 16 million jobs in 2020—are not brought together. The opening sentence does not establish a useful summary, and the repeated “Then” makes the progression mechanical. Grouping the main upward trends together and contrasting them with manufacturing’s decline and agriculture’s fall would make the information easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant terms, including “manufacturing,” “retail sector,” “gradually” and “decreasing,” so the reader can identify the chart categories and general movements. However, vocabulary is limited and often does not describe the data precisely. Phrases such as “great opportunity,” “most paying job” and “not that great” are informal or unsupported because the graph measures job numbers, not job quality or pay. There are also noticeable word-choice and spelling problems, including “benefical” and “it's peak.” Use a more focused range of trend language—such as “employment rose,” “declined steadily,” “reached a peak” and “remained stable”—and avoid interpreting causes or wages that are not shown.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, for example, “But from 2000 to 2020 it's opportunities started decreasing,” and the meaning is generally recoverable. However, control is inconsistent, and several sentence patterns contain errors. In “in was on it's peak,” the pronoun is incorrect; “it's” is also repeatedly used where the possessive “its” is needed. The opening phrase “We would compare the 60 years of comparison” is awkwardly constructed, while “in the 1960” should use a plural decade form. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “Agriculture, It.” Practise accurate past-tense reporting and possessives, and use clear comparative sentence structures to describe changes between years.

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