Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-28

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 5.0)

The graph demonstrates the information about the numbers of jobs in four departments of the economy in the Us between two different years 1960 and 2020.

Overall, Retail sector was the most highlighted and highrated in 1960 it increased sharpely. And the most decreased area was agriculture.

In 196 manufaturing sector had 15 jobs it increases in 1980 normaly at 20 but it also decreased in 2020 at 13.Retail on second number it had 5 in 1960 it sharply increased at 15 in 2000, after this its speed normaly and increased at 16 in 2020.

Healthcare sector had lowest amount in this graph at 2 in 1960, it climbed at 11 at 200 and in 2020 this amount arrived at 16. Agriculture department standed at 6 in 1960 and it decreased moderately at 2 in 1980 and it maintained his number in 2020 at 2.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the four sectors and report several relevant figures, including manufacturing’s peak of 20 million in 1980 and healthcare’s rise to 16 million by 2020. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: retail was not the leading sector in 1960, when manufacturing was highest, and agriculture was not the only sector to decline over the period. Some details are also misreported: retail began at about 6 million, not 5; agriculture fell to 3 million in 1980 and remained there in 2000 before reaching 2 million in 2020. The response is 145 words, below the required 150. To improve, give a clear overview of the main contrasting trends and check each figure against the graph.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic structure: an introduction, an attempted overview, and details about the sectors. This gives the reader some sense of how the information is organised. However, progression is uneven, and the overview does not clearly establish the main comparisons. The sector details are crowded into one paragraph, while transitions such as “after this” and “And” are either vague or awkwardly used. Some sentences combine several figures without clear punctuation, for example the manufacturing sentence runs directly from “13” into “Retail.” Use separate, logically grouped paragraphs and connect comparisons explicitly—for instance, contrast the rising healthcare and retail figures with the overall decline in agriculture.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant chart vocabulary such as “increased,” “decreased,” “climbed,” and “maintained,” and the sector names make the subject clear. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which sometimes makes the meaning difficult to follow. Phrases such as “most highlighted and highrated,” “increased sharpely,” and “its speed normaly” are not natural ways to describe data. Spelling errors, including “manufaturing,” “sharpely,” and “standed,” also reduce clarity. Aim for precise, conventional language for trends and values, such as “reached a peak,” “rose steadily,” and “fell to.” Check spelling carefully, especially for key terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the reader can generally identify which sector and year you are discussing. However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors are frequent enough to make some relationships unclear. For example, “In 196 manufaturing sector had 15 jobs it increases in 1980” shifts tense and joins clauses without appropriate punctuation. “Agriculture department standed at 6” also has an incorrect verb form, while “it maintained his number” has unclear pronoun agreement. Use past tense consistently for this historical graph, add articles where needed (“the manufacturing sector”), and separate complete ideas with full stops or suitable conjunctions.

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.