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 line graph illustrates the number of employment sectors in the United States, over a period of sixety years from 1960 to 2020. It compares four sectors namley( Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture, and Healthcare). The units are measured in millions.

Overall, Manufacturing rose in the beginnig year, whereas Agriculture showed the lowest throughout the period. In addition, both Retail and Healthcare overtook others by the end year.

For instance, the manufacturing started at around 15 millions in 1960 before decreasing steadily to approximately 12 millions. Meanwhile, Retail surged significantly from 6 to 16 million in 2020. Similarly, Healthcare followed an upward trend reached to 16 million in the same period.

In contrast, Agriculture exhibited a downward trend, with its figures declining dramatically from 6 to 1 millions by 2020, which represented the lowest values overtime.

In summary, the graph shows the trend of sectors, which Retail and Healthcare became joint -highest among the four sectors, while others remained the lowest.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the four sectors and report several important overall patterns, including manufacturing’s early rise and later decline, agriculture’s downward trend, and the growth of retail and healthcare. However, some key details are inaccurate or unclear: manufacturing peaked at 20 million in 1980, but this rise is not reported, and its 2020 figure was about 13 million rather than 12. Agriculture ended at about 2 million, not 1. The overview also says retail and healthcare “overtook others,” although by 2020 they were joint-highest, not both clearly ahead of every other sector throughout the period. Include the main turning points and make comparisons more precisely to develop the summary more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the main trends. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “Meanwhile,” “Similarly,” and “In contrast” help readers follow the comparisons. However, the final “In summary” repeats the overview rather than adding a useful comparison, and some connections are unclear. For example, “Manufacturing rose in the beginnig year” does not clearly convey that it rose to a peak before declining. Grouping the two rising sectors together and contrasting them with manufacturing and agriculture would create a clearer progression. Check that references such as “others” and “the lowest” identify the relevant sectors and period precisely.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a reasonable range of trend vocabulary for this chart, including “surged significantly,” “upward trend,” “downward trend,” and “declining dramatically.” These choices make the broad movements understandable. However, several spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision, such as “sixety,” “namley,” “beginnig,” and “overtime.” Some phrases are also awkward or imprecise: “number of employment sectors” suggests a count of sectors rather than jobs, while “joint-highest among the four sectors” is clearer than “joint -highest.” Use accurate chart language consistently, especially “number of jobs” and “million jobs,” and proofread spelling and collocations. More precise verbs for peaks and declines would help distinguish the sectors’ different patterns.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast clause beginning “whereas” and a relative clause in the final sentence. The main trends are generally understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “Healthcare followed an upward trend reached to 16 million” needs a linking structure, such as “Healthcare followed an upward trend, reaching 16 million.” In “the manufacturing started,” the article is unnecessary, and “declining … from 6 to 1 millions” has an incorrect plural form. The overview’s “both Retail and Healthcare overtook others” also needs a clearer grammatical comparison. Practise participle clauses and accurate verb patterns, and check articles, plurals, and punctuation when joining clauses.

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