Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-03

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 illustrates the figures of employment in four different sectors of the economy in United States between the period 1960 to 2020.

Overall, the number of jobs for manufacturing agency is reached at its peak in 1980. In contrast employment in retail and healthcare departments increased over the period. Whereas agriculture was the only sector to show a continuous overall decline.

In 1960, manufacturing industry was the only sector with 15 million employments, followed by next years these figures rose significantly to 20 million in 1980, after which it fell to around 15 million in 2000 and 13 million in 2020.

Retail employment, meanwhile, increased steadily from about 5 million in 1960 to 10 million in 1980. It then continued to grow, reaching approximately 16 million by 2020. Healthcare also experienced significant growth rising from around 2 million jobs in 1960 to about 15 million in 2020.

By contrast, agriculture followed a downward trend overall. It started roughly at 6 million jobs in 1960, fell to about 3 million in 1980, remained at a similar level in 2000, and then declined further to approximately 2 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main features of the graph and provided a clear overview. You covered all four sectors and made relevant comparisons, such as noting that agriculture was the only sector to decline. The data points are generally accurate and support your descriptions well. To reach a higher band, ensure that your overview is more comprehensive by highlighting the most significant trends or the most striking differences between the sectors at the start and end of the period. Your reporting is clear and logical, effectively addressing the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs dedicated to specific trends. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Meanwhile', and 'By contrast' to transition between ideas effectively. However, some of the linking is slightly mechanical, and the paragraphing could be improved by grouping the sectors based on their trends (e.g., those that grew versus those that declined or fluctuated) to create a more sophisticated flow. Overall, the progression of information is easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information clearly, using terms like 'illustrates', 'steadily', 'downward trend', and 'fluctuated'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'manufacturing agency' (should be 'sector' or 'industry') and '15 million employments' (should be '15 million jobs'). While you use some less common vocabulary, there is room to incorporate more precise academic collocations to enhance the sophistication of your writing. The vocabulary used is adequate for the task and does not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'is reached at its peak' (passive voice error) and 'followed by next years these figures rose' (awkward phrasing). Additionally, there are minor issues with articles and prepositions, such as 'in United States' (should be 'in the United States'). Despite these errors, your control of grammar is generally good, and the mistakes do not cause difficulty for the reader. Increasing the variety of complex structures would help improve this score.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.