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 chart given here represents the number of jobs in four sectors which are Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare corresponding to the years 1960 to 2020. The information in the chart is represented by following the decade approach and depicts the jobs in questions in milions.

If we start by focusing on the least jobs to the most jobs then Agriculture catches our attention firstly, because there was a rapid decline in this field from 60s to 80s which then remain consistent till 2000. And then again started declining in 2020.

Manufacting shares a similar destiny but with a slight change. Manufacturing jobs peaked from 15 to 20 millions in 80s but after that it is suffering a constant decline. Now the jobs are below 14 millions approximately.

Retail comes into the picture as an evolving market the jobs reached 10 millions in 1980 and gained an increment of 5 million jobs in each decade. It has been growing as well as maintaining its market value.

Healthcare jobs firstly started at 2 millions approx and then skyrocketed since then.IT has been growing more than ever since. The market is capped around at 16 million jobs as in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify all four sectors and describe several key movements, including manufacturing’s rise to a peak before falling and the growth of retail and healthcare. However, the response does not provide a clear overall summary comparing the main patterns. Some details are inaccurate or unclear: retail did not gain five million jobs in each decade; it rose from 6 million in 1960 to 10 million in 1980, then to 15 million in 2000 and 16 million in 2020. Agriculture fell from about 6 million to 3 million by 1980, stayed level until 2000, and then declined slightly. Develop a concise overview and report the main figures accurately, including that retail and healthcare were joint-highest in 2020.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged in a coherent sequence, with separate paragraphs for agriculture, manufacturing, retail and healthcare. Phrases such as “If we start by focusing” and “Manufacturing… but” help signal the movement between points, so the reader can follow the discussion. However, the organisation is mainly a sector-by-sector list rather than a clear progression from an overview to supporting comparisons. Some links are mechanical, and “Retail comes into the picture” does not create a precise relationship with the preceding information. Add an overview after the introduction, then group related trends—for example, the declining sectors and the growing sectors—and use clear comparisons to connect them.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of vocabulary to describe trends, including “rapid decline,” “peaked,” “constant decline,” “evolving market” and “skyrocketed.” These choices make the general direction of change understandable, and the response attempts some less common expressions. However, several phrases are imprecise or unsuitable for an objective chart summary: “similar destiny,” “market value” and “the market is capped” do not accurately describe job numbers. There are also spelling errors, including “milions” and “Manufacting,” and “increment” is not the natural choice for an increase in jobs. Prefer precise, neutral terms such as “rose,” “fell,” “remained stable” and “reached a peak,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple statements and some longer structures, including the sentence describing agriculture’s decline and subsequent stability. The main trends are generally understandable, but some sentence structures and verb forms are inaccurate. For example, “which then remain consistent” should use a past-tense form such as “which then remained stable,” while “And then again started declining” lacks a clear subject. The opening phrase “If we start by focusing…” also leads to an awkward construction. Punctuation and spacing need attention in “since then.IT,” and several sentences would be clearer if joined or recast with complete clauses. Aim for accurate past-tense reporting and check that each sentence has a clear subject and verb.

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