Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · 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 4.0)

The line graph illustrates about the amout of jobs in four sectors for the economy in the US from 1996 to 2020.

In 1960, Manufacturing job was 15 millionawhich rose up 20 millions till 1980 and then dropped

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response makes a relevant start by identifying manufacturing and reporting its rise from 15 million jobs in 1960 to 20 million in 1980. However, it stops before completing that trend and gives no overview of the graph’s main features or comparisons among the four sectors. The opening also misstates the period as beginning in 1996, whereas the chart starts in 1960. The required minimum length is not met: at 38 words, the response is far too brief to summarise the data adequately. To improve, include an overview—for example, manufacturing peaked in 1980, while retail and healthcare rose overall and agriculture declined—and report key figures for all four sectors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the graph and then begins describing manufacturing over time. The time reference “In 1960” helps signal the move from the introduction to a data point, and “and then” indicates a further change. However, the account ends mid-trend (“then dropped”), so the reader cannot follow the development or see how the information is organised across the four sectors. There are no clear paragraphs or linking comparisons between categories. A complete response should use a brief introduction, an overview, and logically grouped details, with links such as “By contrast” or “Meanwhile” to guide the reader through the comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary is sufficient to identify the topic and begin describing a trend: “line graph,” “jobs,” “sectors,” “rose,” and “dropped” are relevant choices. However, the range is very limited, and some wording is inaccurate or awkward, including “about the amout of jobs” and “for the economy.” The spelling error in “amout” also reduces accuracy. Use more precise chart language, such as “the number of jobs,” “employment in four sectors,” and “increased to” or “declined to.” A wider set of trend and comparison terms would help you describe the other series clearly and avoid repeating basic vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response attempts a simple present-tense introduction and a past-tense description, and the sequence “which rose … and then dropped” shows an effort to connect changes in one sentence. However, grammatical control is uneven. In “Manufacturing job was 15 million,” the singular noun needs an article or a plural form, and the sentence is not completed after “dropped.” The phrase “rose up 20 millions till 1980” also has problems with the verb pattern, number, and time expression. The response relies on a very narrow range of sentence structures. Practise complete past-tense sentences with accurate articles and plural forms, for example: “Manufacturing employment rose from 15 million in 1960 to 20 million in 1980, before declining.”

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