Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-25
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 chart provides information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020, including manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare. The x axis represents years and y axis shows jobs in millions.
Overall, manufacturing sector was gradually increaed from 1960 to 2020. Jobs in retail, and healthcare increased, while agriculture saw decrease.
In 1960, around 2 millions jobs in healthcare sector. this number increased to 16 millions to 2020. Retail sector also increased from about 6 millions to 16 millions. In 1980, manufacturing sector was peak yaer, but after that yaer it gradually decrease to 13 millions.
In contrast, agriculture sector jobs decreased from about 6 millions to 3 millions.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
You identify the chart’s subject and report several relevant figures, including healthcare rising from about 2 million jobs to 16 million and retail increasing from 6 million to 16 million. However, the overview contains a major inaccuracy: manufacturing did not rise overall; it peaked at 20 million in 1980 and then fell to 13 million, ending below its 1960 level of 15 million. The agriculture account is also incomplete, as it omits the fall to about 2 million by 2020. The response is only 100 words, below the required 150, and its limited coverage leaves important comparisons underdeveloped. Give a more accurate overview and report the main changes across all four sectors.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a basic, sensible structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs reporting figures. The sequence from the overall trends to specific sectors is generally understandable, and phrases such as “In contrast” help signal a comparison. However, the progression is limited because the final paragraph gives only one agriculture comparison and does not complete the period, while manufacturing and the other sectors are not organised into a fuller comparison. The overview also conflicts with the later statement that manufacturing peaked in 1980. Develop each paragraph around connected trends, use clear references to the years, and ensure the overview agrees with the details. This would make the organisation more coherent and cohesion less dependent on basic linking phrases.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use relevant chart vocabulary, including “increased,” “decreased,” “sector,” and “millions,” so the reader can understand the general subject and direction of change. However, the range is limited and some word choices or forms are noticeably inaccurate: “gradually increaed” is misspelled and does not describe manufacturing’s overall trend correctly, while “peak yaer” and “decrease” are also errors. Phrases such as “2 millions jobs” and “saw decrease” are not natural collocations. Aim for more precise trend language, such as “reached a peak,” “declined,” and “fell to,” and use standard forms such as “2 million jobs” and “saw a decrease.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
Most sentences use simple structures, and the basic meaning is usually recoverable. There is an attempt at a more complex sentence in “Jobs in retail, and healthcare increased, while agriculture saw decrease,” but the sentence has punctuation and article problems. Errors occur frequently in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries: “manufacturing sector was gradually increaed” has an incorrect verb form, “this number increased to 16 millions to 2020” uses an incorrect preposition and plural, and “In 1960… this number” begins a new sentence without a capital letter. The response therefore shows limited grammatical range and uneven control. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and article use, and check each sentence for a complete, correctly punctuated structure.
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