Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-31

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 the count of jobs in four sectors(manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare) of economy in us since 1960 to 2020.

Overall, there is significant shifts in employment in four sectors over these years. Manufacturing experienced initially raise followed by steady decline. Retail and health have witnessed steady raise, whereas Agriculture have constantly decreased .

In 1960, manufacturing was the dominant sector, employing approximately 15 million people, and it peaked at around 20 million in 1980 before dropping sharply to just under 13 million by 2020. Retail jobs started relatively low at roughly 6 million in 1960 and climbed steadily, reaching around 16 million by the end of the period. Similarly, healthcare experienced dramatic growth, starting from a minimal workforce of under 2 million in 1960 and surging to nearly 16 million by 2020, ending the period neck-and-neck with retail.

Meanwhile, employment in agriculture began at approximately 6 million in 1960—tying with retail at the time—but steadily declined to fewer than 2 million workers by 2020, making it the least prominent sector among the four.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered all four sectors and made relevant comparisons, such as noting that agriculture and retail started at the same point in 1960. The key features, including the peak of manufacturing and the dramatic growth in healthcare, are well-highlighted. To reach a higher band, ensure that you avoid minor inaccuracies in data reporting; for instance, ensure your descriptions of trends (like 'steady raise') are consistently supported by the provided figures. Overall, the response is well-structured and addresses the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group the information effectively. You use cohesive devices such as 'Meanwhile', 'Similarly', and 'whereas' to link ideas and contrast trends. The progression of information is smooth, moving from the general overview to specific sectoral details. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different trends. To improve further, ensure that referencing is always precise and that the flow between sentences remains natural throughout the entire text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'dominant sector', 'surging to', and 'neck-and-neck' are used effectively to describe the trends. However, there are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'count of jobs' (should be 'number of jobs') and 'steady raise' (should be 'steady rise'). While these do not impede communication, refining your use of nouns versus verbs and improving collocation accuracy would elevate your score. Your vocabulary is generally appropriate for an academic task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'there is significant shifts' (should be 'there are') and 'Agriculture have constantly decreased' (should be 'has'). Additionally, there are minor issues with articles, such as 'in us' (should be 'in the US') and 'of economy' (should be 'of the economy'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your points. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences will help you achieve a higher band.

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

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