Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-10

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 number of jobs in 4 various sectors of economy in the US for a period of 60 years between 1960 and 2020. The 4 sectors surveyed were manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare represented by distinct elements in the graph.

In 1960, manufacturing was leading the race for jobs compared to the other three areas of the economy, while healthcare accounted for the least sum of jobs with merely 2 million. Retail and agriculture were very nearly the same in numbers of employments in 1960. However, over the course of time, these figures varied drastically along with the trends. Except for agriculture, every other sector for a constant increase in jobs for the next 20 years and as a result, manufacturing still remained the clear favourite with 20 million jobs. Agriculture, with a gradual decline however, fell below the department of healthcare in the following 2 decades when number of jobs were considered.

Over the remaining period of the survey, manufacturing fell on an unexpected decline in its number, was no longer at top of the leaderboard. The jobs in healthcare and retailing increased constantly and speedily and in 2020, were the joint highest in both sectors with nearly 16 million jobs in both sectors individually. Agriculture still remained at the bottom roughly 2 million jobs in 2020. At the end of this time period, the sector of manufacturing had nearly 3 million less jobs than retailing and healthcare.

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 between them, such as noting that manufacturing was the leader in 1960 while healthcare and retail grew to become the joint highest by 2020. However, the response would benefit from more precise data reporting. For instance, stating 'nearly 16 million' is acceptable, but ensure that the key turning points are explicitly linked to the years provided in the graph. The overview is clear, and the selection of features is appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concluding summary of the final state. You use cohesive devices such as 'However', 'In 1960', and 'Over the remaining period' to guide the reader through the timeline. While the progression is generally smooth, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be tighter. For example, the phrase 'these figures varied drastically along with the trends' is a bit vague. Overall, the paragraphing is effective, and the information flows in a logical sequence from the start to the end of the period.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'gradual decline', 'constant increase', and 'speedily'. There are some minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'leading the race for jobs' (which is slightly informal) and 'least sum of jobs' (which is unnatural; 'lowest number' would be better). You also use 'department of healthcare', which is inaccurate as it refers to a sector, not a government department. Despite these minor inaccuracies, the vocabulary is adequate to convey the meaning clearly and allows for some flexibility in describing the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as 'every other sector for a constant increase' (missing a verb, likely 'saw' or 'experienced') and 'manufacturing fell on an unexpected decline' (should be 'into'). Additionally, 'was no longer at top of the leaderboard' is missing an article ('the top'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and using more varied complex structures with greater precision, as some of your phrasing is slightly awkward.

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

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