Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-23

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 graph represents the inforamtion about the numbers of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020. The graph shows information of four sectors. These are: Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare.

Firslty go to the numbers of jobs in healthcare sectore. There is a 2.5 millions of jobs in 1960 and then with change in the time this number goes up to 16 million in 2020. In 1960 there is a 6 millions of jobs in agriculture sector and with the change in the time this number goes down to 2.5 miilion in 2020. Furthermore in 1960 there is a 6 millions of jobs in retail sector with the change of time this number goes up to 16 million in 2020. Last sector is Manufacturing in 1960 there is a 15 millions of jobs available after few years this number goes up but then again this number fall down to 13 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.5
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You identify all four sectors and report several broad trends, including healthcare and retail rising and agriculture declining. However, the response is only a partial summary: it gives no clear overview of the main comparisons, such as manufacturing being the largest sector initially and healthcare and retail reaching about 16 million by 2020. Some figures are inaccurate: healthcare starts at about 2 million, not 2.5, and agriculture ends at about 2 million, not 2.5. The manufacturing description is vague about its rise to a peak and subsequent fall. The response is also one word below the 150-word minimum. Add a concise overview and select accurate key figures to address the task more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the graph, then describes the sectors, using markers such as “Firstly,” “Furthermore,” and “Last sector.” This gives the reader some sense of order, and the sector-by-sector approach is relevant. However, there is no distinct overview paragraph, and the introduction repeats that the graph shows four sectors without advancing the summary. The body reads as a list of separate observations rather than a comparison of trends; for example, the manufacturing sentence could be linked to the rise in retail and healthcare. Repeated wording such as “with the change in the time” also makes cohesion mechanical. Group related trends and use clearer links between contrasting or similar movements.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant basic terms, including “jobs,” “sectors,” “goes up,” and “goes down,” so the general meaning is usually understandable. However, the vocabulary range is limited and several phrases are repetitive or unnatural, such as “with the change in the time” and “this number fall down.” There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “inforamtion,” “Firslty,” “sectore,” and “miilion,” which reduce accuracy and polish. Use more precise trend language and vary the wording—for example, “increased,” “declined,” “peaked,” and “remained stable.” Check spelling carefully, especially in key terms and labels, so errors do not distract from the data summary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect ideas in longer sentences, for example, “There is a 2.5 millions of jobs in 1960 and then with change in the time this number goes up to 16 million in 2020.” However, these attempts often contain errors in articles, number agreement, and sentence construction. Examples include “a 2.5 millions,” “a 6 millions,” and “this number fall down”; the last also needs a past-tense verb to describe the period. Most sentences follow a similar simple pattern, so the range is limited, and punctuation is sometimes missing where one sentence runs into another, as in the manufacturing description. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and build a few controlled comparison sentences using “while” or “whereas.”

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