Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 illustrates the Numbers of jobs in four sectors of the economy in US Between 1960 and 2020.This gives an idea of how economy over four job sectors were compared over the decades.

In General,The lowest Economy was maintaned for Agriculture , Which tend to be Decreased over the period .Healthcare and Retail have maintained significant growth over the decades.This is the overall Trend that has been recorded in the graph.

From 1960 to 1980, Manufacturing has been increased steadily .But after 1980 , it has reduced to less than 15.Agriculture has maintained a steady Decrease between 1960 to 1980,And the it was Steadily maintained at a 2.5 rate between 1980 and 2000. Retail has been grown over the years from a rate of 5 in 1960 to rise rapidly in 2020 at a rate of greater than 15 and tends to be growing higher.

Compared with Retail ,Healthcare also had a gradual rise in rate towrads the decades. It was started with a rate of 2 or 3 and had a rigorous Development of 5 in 1980 to greater than 10 in early 2000.The lowest was rated to be agriculture not crossing a rate two or greater.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the broad pattern that agriculture declined while retail and healthcare grew, and you include some relevant figures, such as manufacturing reaching 20 million in 1980 and healthcare rising to about 11 million by 2000. However, the overview is imprecise: calling agriculture the “lowest Economy” does not clearly describe the number of jobs, and the key comparison that retail and healthcare both reached about 16 million in 2020 is missed. Some details are inaccurate or unclear: manufacturing fell to about 13 million, not “less than 15” as a precise endpoint, and agriculture was around 3 million in both 1980 and 2000, then about 2 million in 2020. Select the main turning points and report them accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, a general overview and two detail paragraphs. It also groups related sectors, for example discussing manufacturing and agriculture before comparing retail with healthcare. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes difficult to follow because several trends are compressed into long, loosely connected sentences. The repeated use of “rate” and “over the decades” does not clarify what is being compared, while transitions such as “But after 1980” and “Compared with Retail” are basic and occasionally awkward. Improve the sequence by describing each sector’s start, major change and endpoint, and use clear links to show contrasts and similarities.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant trend vocabulary, including “increased steadily,” “reduced,” “gradual rise” and “rapidly,” so the reader can generally understand the intended direction of change. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a graph. “Lowest Economy” and “rigorous Development” do not fit the data, and “rate” is repeatedly used where “number of jobs” or “employment” would be clearer. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, such as “towrads” and “maintaned.” Aim for precise, conventional chart language and avoid treating job totals as rates.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including contrasts introduced by “But after 1980” and comparisons beginning “Compared with Retail.” However, errors are frequent enough to make some sentences awkward or unclear. Examples include “This gives an idea of how economy over four job sectors were compared,” where the clause structure is faulty, and “Agriculture has maintained a steady Decrease between 1960 to 1980,” which has problems with tense and the preposition pattern. Sentence boundaries and capitalisation are also inconsistent, as in “2020.This” and “In General,The.” Use past simple for the historical data, check subject–verb agreement and prepositions, and proofread punctuation.

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