Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-19

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 4.0)

The graph compares information about job numbers in four sectors of economy over a 60-year period from 1960 to 2020 in the US.

Overall, manufacturing offered the highest number of employment in 1960 and healthcare was the lowest at the graph. Despite starting at the lowest, healthcare was at the top of the graph by 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You identify the chart’s subject and time span, and your overview captures two important features: manufacturing is highest in 1960, while healthcare rises from the lowest position to joint-highest by 2020. However, the response reports no figures and omits the main developments in retail and agriculture, as well as the rise and later decline in manufacturing. The statement that healthcare was “at the top” in 2020 is broadly accurate, but it shared that position with retail. Most importantly, the response is substantially below the required 150 words, leaving the task only minimally covered. Add a fuller account of each sector’s trend and support comparisons with approximate values.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic, understandable structure: an introductory sentence is followed by an overall summary, and “Overall” clearly signals the shift to the main features. The ideas are relevant and the two overview points follow a sensible order. However, there is no detailed reporting paragraph, so the response does not develop a clear progression through the data or compare the four sectors systematically. The second sentence also combines several points without explaining how the trends relate. To improve, organise the body by contrasting rising sectors with declining ones, and use clear links such as “whereas” or “by contrast” to guide the reader through the figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use relevant topic vocabulary, including “job numbers,” “manufacturing,” “healthcare,” and “employment,” and the meaning is generally clear. There is some variation in phrasing, such as “offered the highest number of employment” and “starting at the lowest.” However, several expressions are imprecise or unnatural: “number of employment” is not a natural collocation, and “at the top of the graph” is less precise than describing the number of jobs or ranking. The limited response also gives little evidence of range for describing changes over time. Use accurate terms such as “employment,” “rose,” “declined,” and “remained stable,” alongside comparisons and figures.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

Your sentences communicate the main points, and you attempt a complex contrast with “Despite starting at the lowest, healthcare was at the top of the graph by 2020.” The introductory sentence also uses a clear time phrase, “over a 60-year period from 1960 to 2020.” However, the range is narrow, with mostly simple sentence patterns, and there are errors in grammatical construction. In “four sectors of economy,” the article is missing before “economy”; “healthcare was the lowest at the graph” uses an incorrect preposition and structure; and “Despite starting at the lowest” lacks a clear noun after “lowest.” Practise accurate comparative clauses and varied past-tense structures when describing the trends.

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