Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-12

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 illustrates information about the number of occupations in agriculture, retail, manufacturing, and healthcare of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, healthcare and retail followed an upward trend throughout the time period, while manufacturing experienced sharped decreased at the end of time period. In contrast, agriculture remained stable in the middle of time period, before declining slightly.

In 1960, the number of healthcare jobs stood at approximately 3 million, before increasing to 5 million after twenty years, and surging to 11 million in 2000. After twenty years, the number climbed sharply to 16 million. In terms of retail jobs, the number started at 6 million in a1960, before growing to 10 million and 15 million in 1980 and 2000. The number reached 16 million after twenty years.

The figure of manufacturing occupations stood at 15 million at the beginning, before increasing to 20 million after twenty years. Later, the quantity decreased gradually to 17 million in 2000, and reached below 15 million in 2020. The number of agriculture started from 6 million, before falling to 3 million in 1980, and the figure remained same in 2000, before decreasing slightly to 2 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response covers all four sectors and provides a clear overview of the main trends. You successfully identified the upward trajectory of healthcare and retail, as well as the decline in manufacturing and agriculture. The key features are highlighted, and comparisons are made between the sectors. However, the report could be improved by grouping the data more effectively rather than listing figures chronologically for each sector. While the main trends are accurate, ensure that the data points are consistently precise to avoid minor inaccuracies in reporting the graph's information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'In terms of', and 'Later' are used to guide the reader through the data. However, the transition between sentences can sometimes feel a bit mechanical, and the paragraphing could be more balanced. The progression of ideas is clear, but the use of referencing could be more varied to avoid repetitive sentence structures. Overall, the information is easy to follow and the structure is appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'upward trend', 'surging to', and 'declining slightly' are used effectively. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'sharped decreased' (should be 'sharp decrease') and 'the quantity decreased' (referring to jobs as 'quantity' is less natural than 'number' or 'figure'). While you attempt to use varied vocabulary, the range is somewhat limited, and there is occasional awkwardness in phrasing. Expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and nouns would help elevate the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the number of agriculture started' (should be 'the number of jobs in agriculture') and 'the figure remained same' (should be 'remained the same'). Additionally, there are minor errors with articles and prepositions, such as 'in a1960'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles when referring to statistical data.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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