Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-03

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 6.5)

The line graph compares the trend in number of jobs measured in millions across four sectors of the US economy from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, manufacturing was the largest employer during the first two decades and started declining after that, while agriculture employed the least till the end. However, retail and healthcare showed a substantial increase in all these years.

Looking at the line graph, it can be seen that manufacturing started at 15 million and there is a continuous increase in the first two decades after which it declined steadily in the next four decades. Still, between 1960 and 2000, manufacturing remained the largest employer with a peak of 20 million in 1980.

Healthcare rose from the bottom with 2 million, retail with 6 million, and both increased steadily intersecting manufacturing group at 14 millions and 16 millions respectively, making them the highest employed groups by the end of 2020. In contrast, agriculture also started at 6 millions but started decreasing since the start recording them at 3 millions. In the middle two decades, there was no variation in this group and after that it again started declining marking them the least employed group in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively identifies the main trends and provides a clear overview. You successfully highlighted the shift in employment from manufacturing to retail and healthcare, and noted the decline of agriculture. The data is used accurately to support the main features, such as the peak of manufacturing in 1980 and the intersection points of the other sectors. To reach a higher band, ensure that all comparisons are precise; for instance, when mentioning the intersection points, ensure the data points are clearly linked to the specific years they occurred to avoid ambiguity. Overall, the response covers all requirements of the task well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the general overview to specific sectoral details. Cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Looking at the line graph', and 'In contrast' are used effectively to guide the reader. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed analysis. To improve further, ensure that referencing is always clear; for example, in the final paragraph, 'recording them at 3 millions' is slightly ambiguous regarding what 'them' refers to. Overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information with precision, using terms like 'substantial increase', 'steadily', and 'declining'. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, which is generally successful. However, there are minor issues with word form and pluralization, such as '14 millions' and '16 millions' (should be '14 million' and '16 million'). Additionally, 'highest employed groups' is slightly awkward; 'sectors with the highest employment' would be more natural. Despite these minor inaccuracies, the vocabulary is adequate for the task and does not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You show good control over grammar, and most sentences are error-free. There are occasional slips, such as 'the trend in number of jobs' (missing 'the' before 'number') and 'recording them at 3 millions' (incorrect pluralization of 'million'). These errors are infrequent and do not cause confusion. To move to a higher band, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as passive voice or more varied subordinate clauses, while maintaining the current level of accuracy.

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