Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-08

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 given line graph illustrates the ratio of jobs available in manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare in United States between 1960 to 2020.

Overall, we can see that retail and healthcare sector had positive development whereas the amount of manufacturing and agriculture jobs retarded gradually.

To begin with, the manufacturing sector had highest job ratio at 15 million in the year 1960 which increased to 20 million after next two decades. However, this trend decremented to 18 million in 2000 and 13 million in the year 2020.

Meanwhile, healthcare had the lowest number of jobs at around 3 million which spiked to 15 million after 60 years.

On the other hand, retail and agriculture had opposite growths where the employment in retail sector increased from 6 million jobs to 15 million between 1960 to 2020. Meanwhile, employment in agriculture dropped slowly from 6 million to 3 million in the year 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all four sectors and identifies the main trends over the period. The overview is clear and highlights the contrasting developments between the sectors. However, the data reporting is slightly inconsistent; for instance, the manufacturing peak is described as 20 million, but the graph shows it closer to 25 million. Additionally, the term 'ratio' is used incorrectly, as the graph displays absolute numbers (millions of jobs), not ratios. While the main features are selected, the accuracy of the data points needs improvement to reach a higher band. The response is well-structured and addresses the prompt effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Meanwhile', and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sectors. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the overview to specific details. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more varied to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Overall, the information is presented in a coherent manner that is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, though there are some inaccuracies in word choice. Words like 'retarded' and 'decremented' are not standard in this context; 'declined' or 'decreased' would be more appropriate. The use of 'spiked' is a good descriptive choice for the healthcare sector. To improve, you should focus on using more precise academic collocations and avoiding non-standard terminology. While the range is sufficient to convey the main points, the errors in word choice prevent a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'in United States' (missing 'the') and 'had highest job ratio' (missing 'the'). The tense usage is generally consistent, focusing on the past and present perfect to describe the trends. While there are occasional errors, they do not impede communication. To achieve a higher band, you should aim for more error-free sentences and ensure articles and prepositions are used correctly throughout the text.

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

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