Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-22

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

Number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US, 1960-2020

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The line graph illustrate that the number of placements in four sectors of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020.

overall, the retail and healthcare sectors of econmy increased placement rapidly over the years.Although in agricalture sector the jobs has been decreaded over the year and in manufacturing sector the job market remain almost same over the years.

Looking at the graph in more detail, jobs in manufacturing sector increase steadily from 1960 to 1980 and after that satrt declin and goes to arround 16 million in 2020. Same as it is in agriculture sector from arround 6 million job market goes to arrond 2 million in 2020.

Meanwhile, in healthcare sector job market increase rapidly approxmitly 2 million to arround 17 million from 1960 to 2020.as in reatil sector also increased job

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad directions of change: retail and healthcare rise, while agriculture declines, and you attempt to describe manufacturing. However, the overview is partly inaccurate: manufacturing does not remain almost the same, as it rises from about 15 million to 20 million before falling to 13 million. The detail section also gives manufacturing as around 16 million in 2020, whereas the chart shows about 13 million. Retail is mentioned only in an unfinished phrase, so its substantial rise from 6 to 16 million is not properly reported or compared. The response is 126 words, below the 150-word minimum, and this limits the coverage and development of the key features. Include a complete overview and accurate comparisons for all four sectors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a basic attempt to organise the report, with an opening, an overview, and a detail paragraph. Linking expressions such as “Looking at the graph in more detail” and “Meanwhile” help signal movement between points. However, progression is limited: the final sentence stops at “also increased job,” leaving the retail trend incomplete, and the detail paragraph moves between manufacturing, agriculture, and healthcare without a clear comparison structure. Some links are awkward or repetitive, including “Same as it is in agriculture sector.” Use separate, purposeful paragraphs for the overview and grouped details, and connect related trends explicitly—for example, compare the rising retail and healthcare figures before contrasting them with agriculture.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some relevant chart vocabulary, including “sector,” “increased,” “declining,” and “million,” so the main topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, such as “number of placements,” “increased placement,” and “job market” when referring to the number of jobs. Spelling errors are also noticeable, including “econmy,” “agricalture,” “satrt,” and “approxmitly,” which reduce clarity and control. Aim for precise, repeated-use terms such as “employment,” “the number of jobs,” “rose,” and “fell,” and check spelling carefully. Avoid using “placement” as a substitute for jobs in this context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, including a contrast introduced by “Although,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in verb forms and agreement appear in “the line graph illustrate,” “the jobs has been decreaded,” and “the job market remain.” Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also weak: the overview runs together after “years,” and the final sentence is incomplete. The phrase “from 1960 to 1980 and after that” needs clearer punctuation and a consistent tense. These frequent errors sometimes make the intended relationships difficult to follow. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and subject–verb agreement, then use complete sentences with clear punctuation before attempting more complex structures.

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