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)

This graph illustrate the amount of jobs in four sectors in US economy throughout 1960 and 2020.

Overall, there are four jobs named as manufacturing, retail, agriculture and in healthcare sector. There are two jobs in millions which gradually increased with the passage of time. One of biggest increasing jobs among them is in retail sector and the other that also kept growing far more is in healthcare sector.

In 1960, the jobs in manufacturing sector were at 15millions which kept increasing to 20millions in 1980 and as time passed, it started declining and stopped at around 13millions. The jobs in retailing sector started at 7millions and it gradually increased to 17millions till 2020.

The jobs in agriculture sector stood at the exact place where jobs in retail sector started but eventually it started to go downwards in every estimated 20years and stopped at 3millions in 2020 while the last jobs in healthcare sector kept going upwards in economy and increased in millions upto 17millions in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the four sectors and report several key trends: manufacturing peaks in 1980 before declining, while retail and healthcare rise and agriculture falls. This gives the reader a basic overview of the graph. However, the overview is unclear in places: “There are two jobs in millions which gradually increased” does not clearly identify the two sectors, and the comparison between the series is not fully developed. Some figures are also inaccurate: retail begins at about 6 million, not 7, and ends at about 16 million, not 17; agriculture finishes at about 2 million, not 3. Healthcare reaches about 16 million. More precise comparisons, including that retail and healthcare finish at similar levels, would make the summary more complete and reliable.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure, moving from an introduction and overview to details about the four sectors. The paragraphs also group related information, and phrases such as “In 1960” and “as time passed” help signal sequence. However, progression is sometimes difficult to follow because the overview uses unclear references, especially “There are two jobs in millions,” and the final sentence combines agriculture and healthcare in a way that obscures their separate trends. Linking expressions such as “while” and “and” are repeated rather mechanically. Give each sector a clear comparison and use more precise referencing—for example, “By contrast, healthcare rose steadily”—to make the relationships between trends easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for describing trends, including “increased,” “declining,” “gradually,” and “go downwards,” so the main patterns are generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several expressions are unnatural or imprecise for a graph summary. “The amount of jobs” would be better expressed as “the number of jobs,” while “stopped at” and “kept going upwards in economy” do not describe the data naturally. Repetition of “jobs” and “sector” also limits flexibility. Build a small range of accurate trend phrases, such as “rose steadily,” “fell gradually,” “reached a peak,” and “ended at,” and use them with the correct sector and figure.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, including clauses joined with “which,” “while,” and “as,” and the overall meaning can usually be understood. However, errors in sentence structure and grammatical forms are frequent enough to make some statements awkward or unclear. For example, “This graph illustrate” has subject–verb disagreement, and “throughout 1960 and 2020” uses an unsuitable time construction. The sentence beginning “There are two jobs in millions” is also structurally unclear, while “the jobs … started at … and it gradually increased” shifts awkwardly between plural and singular reference. Check agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries, and use straightforward constructions such as “The number of manufacturing jobs rose to 20 million in 1980 before falling.”

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