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 graph illustrates the number of jobs on four major sector in the USA from 1960 to 2020 AD.

The graph shows rapid inclination of the Healcare and Retail sector from being on two million and five million in 1960 to fifteen million jobs. The healthcare sector growth has rapidly increased over the period. In between the years , the jobs count has not declined but always in a progressive mode.

However, the Agricultural sector which started off with five million on 1960 has declined vastly and is at less than a million job opportunities. Unlike the other two agricultural sector follows declining trend.The manufacturing sector graph shows a fluctuating figure. The initial job count was 15 million in the year 1960 and increased by 5 million in the year 1980 with 20 million jobs. But after 1980 it follows declining trend and has came to 13 million in 2020.

In Nutshell, Despite Starting off with less number of jobs in 1960 health and retail sector has inclined by encouraging numbers. However the Agriculture and Manufacturing sector numbers are lesser than the other two in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main broad patterns: healthcare and retail rise, agriculture falls, and manufacturing peaks before declining. You also include several relevant figures, such as manufacturing reaching 20 million in 1980 and then falling to 13 million. However, some key details are inaccurate or unclear. Healthcare and retail both finish at about 16 million, not 15 million, and agriculture falls from about 6 million to 2 million, rather than from five million to below one million. The overview also says agriculture and manufacturing are both lower than the other sectors in 2020, overlooking that manufacturing is below retail and healthcare but remains well above agriculture. More precise comparisons and accurate endpoint figures would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, discussion of rising sectors, discussion of declining sectors, and a concluding overview. Contrast markers such as “However” and “Unlike” help signal changes in direction. Nevertheless, progression is sometimes difficult to follow because healthcare and retail are grouped together even though their starting values differ, and the sentence “In between the years, the jobs count has not declined” is vague about which sector it describes. Some linking is mechanical, and the final “In Nutshell” repeats earlier points rather than adding a clear synthesis. Organise the body by comparing related trends, and use explicit references to each sector so the reader can follow the comparisons without ambiguity.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant trend vocabulary, including “declined,” “fluctuating,” “increased,” and “progressive,” and the meaning is generally recoverable. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a graph: “rapid inclination” does not mean a rapid rise, “inclined by encouraging numbers” is unclear, and “job opportunities” is not equivalent to the number of jobs shown. There are also noticeable spelling and form errors, including “Healcare” and “Agricultural sector” where the sector name is needed. Aim for precise, conventional chart language such as “rose steadily,” “fell,” “reached a peak,” and “stood at.” This would improve clarity and reduce repetition while retaining the relevant vocabulary you already use.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including contrast clauses beginning with “However” and “Unlike,” and the overall meaning can usually be understood. However, errors recur in sentence construction and agreement. For example, “four major sector” needs a plural noun, while “the jobs count has not declined but always in a progressive mode” lacks a complete parallel verb structure. “The initial job count was 15 million … and increased by 5 million … with 20 million jobs” is awkwardly constructed, and “has came” uses an incorrect verb form. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “In Nutshell” and the spaces before commas. Check subject–verb agreement, verb forms, and complete clause structure when editing.

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