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

Number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US, 1960-2020

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The graph compares the number of four jobs sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020.

Overall manufacturing jobs were the most prominent sector in 90s and moved slowely towards decline yearly.While Health care and Retail also increased in between these years and the lowest sector is agriculture.

During 1960 ,15 millions people had a job in manufacturing sector, Again it boost in 1980 with 20 millions jobs offered and then suddenly decline in next 40 years its went below 15 millions, While Retail sectors jobs in 1960 offered above 5 millions jobs

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response4.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the chart’s subject and mention several relevant features, including manufacturing’s rise to 20 million in 1980 and its later decline, as well as agriculture being the smallest sector. However, the response addresses the task only minimally: it stops partway through the retail description and gives no account of the later retail trend or healthcare’s substantial growth. The overview is also imprecise: manufacturing peaked in 1980, not “in 90s,” and healthcare and retail did not simply increase throughout the period. The response is 85 words, below the required 150, which leaves the main comparisons and key data undeveloped. To improve, provide a complete overview and compare all four sectors across the period using the chart’s main turning points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is a basic attempt to organise the response: an opening sentence is followed by an overview and then some figures. This gives the reader a starting structure, and words such as “Overall,” “Again,” and “then” signal relationships between points. However, the response ends abruptly during the retail comparison, so there is no clear progression through the remaining sectors or a concluding comparison. Several ideas are crowded into long sentences, with “While” used to join information that is not fully developed. Improve cohesion by using separate paragraphs for the overview and detailed comparisons, and organise the details by sector or by period. Use linking expressions to show contrasts and changes precisely rather than joining several points with commas.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the general topic and some trends, with relevant terms such as “manufacturing,” “decline,” “increased,” and “lowest sector.” However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which makes parts of the report awkward: “four jobs sectors,” “most prominent sector,” and “jobs offered” do not describe the chart naturally. “Boost” is also too informal for an academic summary, and “slowely” is misspelled. Aim for precise chart language, such as “number of jobs,” “employment,” “rose,” “fell,” and “remained stable.” Vary trend vocabulary and check spelling so that the reader can understand the comparisons without having to interpret unusual phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences, and the opening sentence communicates the chart’s time span. However, the longer constructions are often faulty, and punctuation makes the relationships between ideas difficult to follow. For example, “During 1960, 15 millions people had a job…” has problems with the time expression, plural form, and article use; “then suddenly decline… its went” also shifts verb form and does not form a clear grammatical clause. The sentence beginning “While Health care and Retail…” is incomplete as written. Use past-tense verbs consistently for the historical data, check singular and plural forms, and divide long sentences into shorter, complete comparisons. More accurate control of these basic structures would make the report clearer.

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