Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-27

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 BELOW ILLUSTRATE THE NUMBER OF JODS IN DIFFERENT SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY IN THE UNITED STATES BETWEEN 1960 AND 2020. MANUFACTURING WAS HIGHEST ONCE . RETAIL WAS INCREASED. AGRICULTURE HAD DECLIEND IN YEARS. HEALTHCARE WAS ROSE .

IN YEAR 1960 MANUFACTURING WAS HIGHEST WITH 15 MILLION . IT HAD ROSE TO 20 IN YEAR OF 1980 HIGHEST AMONGE ALL OF THE SECTORS . AFTER THAT IT SHOWS RAPID DECLIND IN BOTH THE YEAR OF 2000 AND 2020 WITH 13 MILLION IN LAST YEAR . HEALTHCARE BEGIN WITH NEAR TO 2 MILLION AND CONTINUED TO INCREASED IN YEAR 1980 TO 2020 , WITH GROWTH OF 5 MILLION , 11MILLION AND 15 MILLION IN YEAR 2020.

RETAIL STARTED FROM 5 IN YEAR 1960 FOLLOWED BY AGRICULTURE. HOWEVER BOTH SHOWS CONTRASING RESULT, RETAIL STEDILY INCREASED AND AGRICULTURE HAD DECLIEND. RETAIL IN YEAR 2020 REAHED TO 15.5 MILLION. WHEREAS AGRICULTURE IN YEAR 1980 AND 2000 HAD SIMILARY GROWTH AROUND 3.5 MILLION.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify several important patterns: manufacturing peaks in 1980 before declining, healthcare rises over time, retail increases, and agriculture falls. You also include figures to support these points. However, the overview is brief and unclear (“Manufacturing was highest once”), and the account does not clearly compare the sectors at the end of the period. Some figures are inaccurate: retail is about 6 million in 1960 and 16 million in 2020, while healthcare reaches about 16 million, not 15 million. Agriculture is around 3 million in both 1980 and 2000, rather than 3.5 million. A clearer overview of the main changes and more accurate comparisons would make the report more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence, moving from manufacturing and healthcare to retail and agriculture, and the paragraph break helps separate the opening from the details. Some linking words, such as “After that,” “However,” and “Whereas,” show an attempt to connect comparisons. However, the opening consists of several disconnected statements, and the overall progression is not consistently clear. The final paragraph combines retail and agriculture but does not develop their comparison in a fully organised way. Repeated time phrases such as “in year 2020” also make the flow mechanical. Use a distinct overview followed by logically grouped details, and connect each comparison directly to the relevant figures.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “increased,” “declined,” “growth,” and “reached,” so the reader can generally understand the trends being described. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate, such as “was rose,” “continued to increased,” “rapid declind,” and “contrasing result.” These errors sometimes make the intended meaning less clear, while repeated use of “year” and “million” limits variety. Choose precise trend verbs and use their correct forms—for example, “rose,” “continued to increase,” and “contrasting trends.” Check spelling carefully, and use natural collocations such as “reached 16 million jobs” rather than “reached to 15.5 million.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple statements and longer sentences, including “After that it shows rapid decline…” and a comparison beginning “However.” However, the range is limited, and frequent errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction make some sentences difficult to follow. Examples include “The graph … illustrate,” “Manufacturing was highest once,” “Healthcare was rose,” and “both shows.” Several clauses also lack clear grammatical structure, as in “with growth of 5 million, 11million and 15 million in year 2020.” Practise forming accurate past-tense descriptions and complete comparison sentences, such as “Healthcare rose from 2 million to 16 million.” More reliable basic sentence patterns will improve clarity before adding complexity.

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