Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-18

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 graph illustrate the information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the United States between 1960 to 2020.

Overall, The chart shows the comparison among four economy sectors in the United States. The sectors of the economy are Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture, and the Healthcare. Besides, all these sectors of the economy are represented by dark lines, and dotted lines.

The graph shows that the manufacturing sector of the ecomony in the United States is the highest number which is 15 million in 1960 and towards 1980 it rises, but after 1980 it slightly reduces jobs till 2020. Moreover, on the second number is Healthcare sector of the economy start in 1960 has lower the 5 million jobs but the dramatical change occurs and it's jobs are 15 million till 2020. In addition Retail sector of the economy start jobs are 5 million in 1960, but continuously rise up and achive 15 millions in 2000 and then it stay constant. At last the Agriculture sector of the economy start in 1960 has bit higher then 5 million jobs, but till 2020 it slightly reduces.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify all four sectors and describe several broad trends, including manufacturing peaking around 1980 and then declining, and agriculture falling over time. However, the overview mainly lists the sectors and describes how the lines are represented, rather than summarising the most important comparisons. Some figures and trends are inaccurate: healthcare reaches about 16 million in 2020, not 15 million, while retail rises to about 16 million by 2020 rather than staying constant after 2000. The opening values for agriculture and retail are also slightly overstated or understated. To make the report more complete, give a clear overview of the contrasting rises and falls and compare the leading sectors at the end.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to descriptions of the sectors. Linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “In addition,” and “At last” show an effort to connect points. However, the overview does not establish a useful progression, and the body reads as a sequence of separate sector descriptions rather than a clear comparison of trends. Some transitions are awkward or repetitive, and the relationship between ideas is occasionally unclear, particularly in the long sentence beginning “Moreover, on the second number is Healthcare.” Organise the body around contrasting patterns—for example, declining manufacturing and agriculture versus growing retail and healthcare—and use concise, accurate links between those comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “sector,” “jobs,” “rises,” and “reduces,” so the main subject is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several phrases are unnatural or imprecise, such as “on the second number,” “start jobs,” and “stay constant.” Repetition of “sector of the economy” also makes the report less fluent. There are noticeable spelling and word-form errors, including “ecomony,” “achive,” and “dramatical,” which reduce accuracy. Aim for standard chart language and more precise verbs, such as “ranked second,” “stood at,” “increased,” and “declined.” This would make comparisons clearer without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the reader can usually follow the intended trends. However, grammatical errors are frequent, especially in subject–verb agreement, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “The graph illustrate” should be “The graph illustrates,” and “the manufacturing sector … is the highest number” does not form a clear grammatical comparison. The sentence about healthcare also has faulty structure: “Healthcare sector … start in 1960 has lower the 5 million jobs.” Tense and agreement problems recur in phrases such as “it stay constant.” Use shorter, controlled sentences with a clear subject and verb, then check articles and verb forms. More accurate sentence patterns would improve clarity while retaining some variety.

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