Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-26

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 given graph give the information about the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020

the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between [redacted phone] . The four sectors are known as Manufacturing,Retailing,Agriculture,Healthcare.

In Manufacturing sector the number of jobs in 1960 are 15 millions and the jobs are increased from 15 millions to 20 millions in 1980 and it slightly decereased in the year 2000 from 20 millions to around 17 millions and coming to the year 2020 it was completely decreased to 13 millions comparning to the all sectors the Manufacturing sector is in 3 rd postion that play role in the US economy.

In Retail sector the number of jobs in 1960 are around 6 millions and the jobs are increased from 6 to 10 millions in 1980 and 10 millions to 15 millions in 2000 a massive incriment in Retail sector but in 2020 the number of jobs are around 16 millions where there is a slight change between the year 2000 and 2020 and where the Retail and Healthcare sectors play equal roles in US economy.

In Agriculture sector the number of jobs in 1960 are 6 millions and that was decreased to 3 millions in the year 1980 and later it was decreased to 2.5 millions in 2000 and in the year 2020 the number of jobs in agriculture are 2 millions where in the agriculture sector there is a massive fall from 1960 to 2020 where this sector is in the last position in Us economy.

In Healthcare sector from 1960 to 2020 there is more difference where the jobs are increased from 2 millions 16 millions where this sector is developing year by year when compares to the other sectors where the Retail and Healthcare sectors play equal roles the US economy.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You cover all four sectors and report several key movements, including manufacturing’s rise to 20 million before falling, retail’s steady growth, and healthcare’s strong increase. However, the response is mainly a sequence of sector-by-sector details rather than a clear overview of the most important comparisons. The claim that retail and healthcare play “equal roles” is only accurate at the final point, when both reach about 16 million; their earlier figures differ substantially. Agriculture is also misreported as falling to 2.5 million in 2000, whereas the chart shows about 3 million. Add a concise overview identifying the broad ranking and contrasting trends, and check figures and comparisons against the graph.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is divided into paragraphs by sector, which gives the reader a basic structure, and the sequence of years within most paragraphs is generally understandable. However, there is no distinct overview paragraph, and the repeated openings “In Manufacturing sector,” “In Retail sector,” and “In Agriculture sector” make the progression mechanical. Several long sentences join multiple changes and comparisons with repeated “and” or “where,” so relationships between points are not always clear. The final healthcare paragraph repeats the claim about retail and healthcare having equal roles rather than providing a concluding synthesis. Grouping related trends and using clearer transitions would create a more coherent overall progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing trends, such as “increased,” “decreased,” “massive fall,” and “slight change,” and the meaning is usually recoverable. However, the range is limited and some choices are inaccurate or repetitive: “completely decreased” does not naturally describe a fall to 13 million, while “play equal roles” is imprecise for comparing job totals. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “decereased,” “comparning,” and “incriment,” which reduce the accuracy of the report. Use a wider set of precise trend verbs and comparison phrases, and proofread spelling and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts longer sentences to describe changes over time, but these are often difficult to control, and many basic grammatical errors recur. For example, “The given graph give” has subject–verb disagreement, while “the number of jobs … are 15 millions” has problems with agreement and number. In “increased from 2 millions 16 millions,” the comparison structure is incomplete, and several sentences run together without effective punctuation. Most statements rely on similar simple patterns, with limited accurate use of more varied structures. Practise singular forms such as “the number … was,” correct article and preposition patterns, and divide long sentences into clear clauses.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.