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 presented line graph illustrates the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, retail and agriculture had a similiar trends throughout the years, on the other hand manufacturing and healthcare had a generally same trend later on.

The lowest jobs in 1960 was healthcare at only around 2 million. However it gradually increased. In terms of retail was at about 6 million which was identical with agriculture in 1960, then healthcare and retail finished on the same level at approximately at 16 million.

Manucturing was the highest number of jobs at 15 million in 1960, then it kept increasing and hit its peak in 1980 at all time highest at 20 million. Meanwhile agriculture had a decreasing trend at approximately at 4. After that it leveled of between 1980 and 2000 then fell to around 2 in 2020. As for manufactoring it significantly decreased to approximately 13 million.

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, agriculture’s decline to about 2 million, and retail and healthcare ending at roughly 16 million. However, the overview is unclear and partly inaccurate: retail and agriculture did not follow similar trends, as retail rose while agriculture fell. The comparison that manufacturing and healthcare had a similar trend “later on” is also too vague to capture their contrasting paths. Important changes, especially retail’s steady rise and healthcare’s strong growth, receive little detail. The response is also below the required 150 words: it contains 141 words, with 17 copied prompt words excluded. Add a clearer overview and develop the main trends with accurate comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic structure, beginning with an introduction and then moving through some sector details. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “However,” “Meanwhile,” and “After that” show an attempt to connect information. However, the progression is difficult to follow because the overview groups sectors inaccurately, and the body shifts between healthcare, retail, agriculture, and manufacturing without a clear organising principle. Some links are awkward or incomplete, as in “In terms of retail was at about 6 million,” while “then” and “after that” do not always make the sequence of comparisons clear. Group the rising sectors together and the declining or fluctuating sectors together, and use clear topic sentences and references to improve the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant chart vocabulary, including “increased,” “decreasing trend,” “peak,” “leveled off,” and “significantly decreased.” This gives you a basic range for describing changes, but several phrases are imprecise or unnatural, such as “had a similiar trends,” “the lowest jobs,” and “at all time highest.” Spelling errors in “similiar,” “Manucturing,” “manufactoring,” and “leveled of” are noticeable and reduce accuracy. Repetition of “approximately” and “around” also limits variety. Aim for precise collocations used in data reporting, such as “the number of jobs,” “reached a peak,” and “declined to,” and check spelling carefully before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “Meanwhile” and a sequence using “then.” However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to interpret. For example, “The lowest jobs in 1960 was healthcare” has problems with the noun phrase and subject–verb agreement, while “In terms of retail was at about 6 million” is missing a clear subject and verb structure. The sentence beginning “Overall” also joins contrasting ideas awkwardly. Practise complete clauses with accurate agreement and articles, and use punctuation to separate comparisons. For example: “Retail stood at 6 million jobs in 1960, matching agriculture.”

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