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)

The line graph illlustrate that availability of jobs in four different sectors for the people of US from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, it is evident that manufacturing field was one of the important and have higher jobs ratio rather than others and there is a major increase in the field of healthcare center. If we talk about Retail so there is also raise in this feild and a ruduce jobs in the agriulture.

Fristly, we talk about manufacturing so in 1960 there is around 15 million jobs and it grow to 20 million in 1980 after that there was a major fall and in 2020 there is 17 milion jobs. Now there is a retail field which grow rapidly from 6 million in 1960 to 15 million in 2000.

Secondly, in agriculture there is a decrease 6 million jobs in 1960 which fall to 2 million in 2020. There is a mojor increase in healthcare 3 million in 1960 which increase to 15 million jobs in 2000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several relevant trends: manufacturing rises to a peak before declining, retail and healthcare grow, and agriculture falls. However, some figures and comparisons are inaccurate or incomplete. Manufacturing is reported as 17 million in 2020, but the chart shows about 13 million; healthcare starts at about 2 million, not 3, and reaches about 16 million in 2020, rather than ending at 15 million in 2000. Retail’s rise is described only to 2000, and the overview does not clearly state that healthcare and retail are joint leaders by 2020. The response therefore covers the task only partially, with key features under-reported. Check each series across all four years and give a precise overview of the main rankings and changes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure, with an opening, an overview, and two detail paragraphs. Sequencing words such as “Firstly” and “Secondly” help signal the order of information. However, progression is not consistently clear: the overview moves between manufacturing, healthcare, retail, and agriculture without a clear comparison, while the body paragraphs group sectors but do not consistently complete their timelines. Phrases such as “If we talk about Retail” and “Now there is a retail field” are repetitive and make the links feel mechanical. Improve the organisation by presenting the overview first, then grouping the rising sectors together and the declining sector separately, using clear comparisons and references between sentences.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “increase,” “decrease,” “fall,” and “rapidly,” so the main trends are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are unnatural, such as “jobs ratio,” “manufacturing field,” and “healthcare center.” Repetition of “there is” and “major increase” also reduces precision. Spelling errors—including “illlustrate,” “feild,” “agriulture,” and “Fristly”—are noticeable and weaken the clarity of the report. Use standard sector names and precise trend language, such as “employment in manufacturing,” “the number of jobs rose,” and “healthcare employment.” Proofreading spelling and choosing natural collocations would make the description more effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and linked sentences, but the range is limited and errors occur frequently. For example, “The line graph illustrate” has subject–verb disagreement, while “manufacturing field was one of the important and have higher jobs ratio” contains problems with agreement and sentence construction. Tense and verb forms are also inconsistent in “it grow to 20 million” and “which grow rapidly.” Several sentences omit necessary articles or use incomplete structures, as in “there is a decrease 6 million jobs.” These errors sometimes make relationships between figures difficult to follow. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and build sentences around clear subjects and verbs, for example, “Manufacturing employment rose from 15 million to 20 million.”

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