Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

the line graph illustrate that the manufacturing has almost 20 milliions in 1980. but it reduces year after year. if reduce to 15 million as same as it is in 1960 then decrease to approximately 13 million in 2020. The other side the retail prize that shown in chart is going upward 5 million to 15 million as year per year. there is also agriculture line on the graph that rapidly going to downfall from 5 million to 1 million approximately and the last one is healthcare job it increases year per year as shown in the chart like in 1960 it is only in 2 million jobs but it increases to 4 millions in 1980 and then increases to 12 million in 2000 and the last survey it increased to approximately 15 million jobs. this survey shows that only agricultural jobs rapidly decreases in many decades but other jobs increases in many those years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main broad patterns: manufacturing peaks around 1980 and then declines, while agriculture falls and healthcare rises. You also include several figures, and your final comparison recognises that agriculture is the only sector to decrease overall. However, some data are inaccurate: retail is about 6 million in 1960, not 5, and rises to 16 million by 2020, rather than ending at 15; agriculture starts at about 6 million and ends at 2, not 5 and 1. Healthcare reaches about 5 million in 1980 and 11 million in 2000, rather than 4 and 12. The overview is present but brief, and the account does not clearly compare the sectors’ positions at the end. More accurate figures and a fuller overview would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response follows a broadly sensible order, moving through manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare, and it ends with a general comparison. This gives the reader some organisation. However, it is presented as one long paragraph, so the overview and detailed reporting are not clearly separated. Connections between points are also sometimes awkward or repetitive: “The other side” and “there is also” do not clearly signal the relationships between trends, while “year after year” and “as year per year” repeat the same idea. Use a short introduction and overview, followed by a paragraph grouping the rising sectors and another for the declining trends. More precise linking and clearer sentence boundaries would make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant chart vocabulary such as “increases,” “decreases,” “approximately” and “million,” so the general meaning is usually recoverable. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or unnatural, which sometimes makes the report harder to understand. For example, “the retail prize” appears to mean the retail figure, and “going to downfall” is not a natural way to describe a decline. “The last survey” is also unsuitable for the final year shown; “the final year” would be clearer. There are spelling and word-form problems, including “milliions” and “agricultural jobs” where the sector itself is being discussed. Build a more precise set of trend terms, such as “rose steadily,” “peaked,” and “fell gradually,” and check spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to describe changes over time and use some longer sentence forms, but control of sentence structure and verb forms is inconsistent. For example, “the manufacturing has almost 20 milliions in 1980” lacks a suitable verb construction, while “if reduce to 15 million … then decrease” does not form a complete, clear sentence. Subject–verb agreement and tense also need attention: “the line graph illustrate” should use a singular verb, and the past trends should generally be reported consistently in the past tense. Several sentences run together with full stops or commas used ineffectively, making relationships between clauses unclear. Practise writing complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and use simple past forms such as “rose,” “fell” and “reached” accurately before adding more complex comparisons.

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