Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

This graph indicates job market of different sectors in United Staes.It includes four sectors healthcare, retail, agriculture, and manufacturing. In healthcare, number of jobs are increasing from 1960 to 2020. It is increasing day by day starting from about 2.5 million in 1960 then 5 mllion in 1980 then above 10 million in 2000 and then above 15 million in 2020. There is sudden increase after 1980 because of demanding of healthcare facilities.

Agriculture is most popular in 1960 then its popularity seen in downward after 1960 and numbers are still decreasing in 1960.Retail jobs are seen in significant upward trend from 1960 to 2000 but after 2000 there is not any trend observe it is still there. Manufacturing jobs are increasing from 1960 to 1980 but after that there is seen downwards trend in this sector till 2020.

There is seen upward trend in healthcare and retail sector. Downward trend is observed in agriculture sector and first upward and then downward trend is observed in manufacturing sector.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main broad patterns: healthcare and retail rise, agriculture declines, and manufacturing rises before falling. The manufacturing figures are described accurately in direction, and your healthcare account gives approximate values that broadly match the graph. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: agriculture is not the most popular sector in 1960 (manufacturing is highest), and its decline is not “in 1960” but continues across the period. Retail also continues to rise slightly after 2000, reaching about 16 million in 2020. The overview is relevant, but it would be stronger if it highlighted the key comparison that retail and healthcare finish as the joint largest sectors, while agriculture is the smallest. Some selected features therefore need clearer and more complete reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic structure, moving from an introduction to sector details and then a concluding summary of trends. This gives the reader a general sense of the information. However, progression is weakened by unclear links and repeated statements: the final paragraph repeats the upward and downward trends already mentioned, rather than adding a useful comparison. The agriculture sentence, “numbers are still decreasing in 1960,” is difficult to follow, and “after 2000 there is not any trend observe it is still there” does not clearly explain the retail pattern. Grouping the sectors into paragraphs and using clearer time references such as “from 2000 to 2020” would make the organisation easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing graphs, including “upward trend,” “downward trend,” and “significant,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this task. “Popularity” does not describe the number of jobs, and “there is not any trend observe” is unclear; “the figure levelled off” or “rose slightly” would be more precise. There are also spelling errors such as “Staes” and “mllion,” alongside awkward phrases such as “demanding of healthcare facilities.” Aim for precise terms such as “employment,” “rose,” “fell,” and “remained relatively stable,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the overall meaning can usually be understood. However, errors in sentence construction, agreement, articles, and punctuation are noticeable. For example, “number of jobs are increasing” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “There is sudden increase” needs an article and a more suitable tense. The sentence about retail, “there is not any trend observe it is still there,” combines clauses without clear grammatical links. Missing spaces after full stops also make the opening harder to read. Practise forming accurate comparisons and using past-tense reporting consistently, for example: “Employment in healthcare rose from about 2 million in 1960 to 16 million in 2020.”

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