Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-13

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 provided chart illustrates the data about different types of jobs, such as manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare sectors of the economy in the US over a 60-year period, starting from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, it is evident that the number of occupations in healthcare and in retail business grew significantly over the period, whereas the manufacturing and agriculture sectors dropped slightly over the same period. Interestingly, the number of jobs in healthcare rose sharply during the period and became the highest by 2020, while it was the lowest in the initial year.

Looking first at healthcare, it stood at approximately 0.25 million in the initial year before increasing dramatically and reaching just over 15 million, making it the highest figure along with the retail sector in 2020. Similarly, the retail sector accounted for just over 5 million in 1960, similar to that of the number of jobs in agricultural sector. Afterwards, it grew significantly and reached around 16 million in 2020 by overtaking manufacturing.

Turning to the number of occupations in the manufacturing sector, it was considerably the highest category in 1960, which stood at 15 million. It then peaked at 20 million in 1980 before dropping steadily and reaching approximately 13 million in 2020. Additionally, agriculture became the lowest in offering jobs . It began at around 6 million in 1960, but then declined and remained only around 0.25 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features, trends, and comparisons across the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. The overview effectively captures the general trajectories, noting the growth in healthcare and retail alongside the decline in manufacturing and agriculture. Key data points are cited accurately, such as manufacturing peaking at 20 million in 1980 and healthcare starting at 0.25 million before reaching just over 15 million. The information is well-selected, and comparisons are made effectively throughout the body paragraphs, satisfying the requirements for Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an appropriate introductory paragraph and a distinct overview, followed by logically grouped body paragraphs focusing on specific sectors. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Looking first at', 'Similarly', and 'Additionally', ensuring clear logical links between sentences and paragraphs. Paragraphing is managed appropriately to separate distinct ideas and groupings of data, supporting a smooth flow of information throughout the essay, which aligns well with a Band 7 descriptor.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task with some flexibility and precision. Words and phrases such as 'significantly', 'dramatically', 'accounting for', and 'overtaking' are used appropriately. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary like 'occupations' and 'trajectories', though some minor word choice and collocation slips occur, such as referring to jobs as 'occupations' repeatedly in ways that sound slightly unnatural. Overall, the lexical range is adequate and permits clear communication of complex data trends, fitting Band 6.5, which rounds to 6.5 or is best matched at 6.0 based on precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'while it was the lowest in the initial year' and 'which stood at 15 million'). There is a good variety of grammatical forms used to report statistics and trends. Grammatical control is generally quite strong with frequent error-free sentences, though minor punctuation or phrasing errors occasionally appear, such as the spacing error before the period in 'offering jobs .'. Communication is never impeded, and the overall grammatical control comfortably satisfies the criteria for Band 7.

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