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 line chart delineates information about the number of jobs, measured in millions, in four economic sectors, manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare, in the US, over the period of 6 decades.

Overall, retail and healthcare showed the sharpest fluctuation, converging at the same number over the period. The other two sectors experienced modest changes, relative to the beginning,

by the end of 2020.

In 1960, manufacturing began the year with the highest number of job opportunities, at 15 million, before climbing to 20 million in 1980. From here onwards, it declined gradually, reaching roughly 17M in 2020, and around 13 million in 2020.

However, retail and healthcare showed a somewhat different pattern, starting the year 1960 at approximately 5M and 2M respectively, and reaching 10M and 5M respectively in 1960. Both these sectors peaked and met at the same point, around 15M.

Conversely, agriculture dropped from 5M to just 3M in 1980, where it leveled off, before decreasing to around 2M by 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively addresses the prompt by summarising the main features and making relevant comparisons across the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. The overview successfully captures the key trends, noting the significant fluctuations in retail and healthcare compared to the relative stability of manufacturing and agriculture. Data points are cited to support the descriptions, although there are a few minor numerical inconsistencies or confusions regarding the dates and figures within the body paragraphs (such as stating manufacturing reached 17M in 2020 and around 13 million in 2020, and confusing decades for 1960). Despite these minor data contradictions, all parts of the task are covered well, earning a solid Band 7.0 for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organised and easy to follow. It begins with a clear introductory paraphrase, moves into a concise overview paragraph, and then breaks down the specific sectors into logical body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'before climbing', 'However', and 'Conversely' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the data and contrast different trends. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and effectively, with each paragraph serving a distinct function in presenting the overview or the detailed data comparisons. Progression is clear throughout, warranting a Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information accurately and with some flexibility. Appropriate terms related to graph interpretation are employed, such as 'delineates', 'fluctuation', 'converging', 'modest changes', 'declined gradually', and 'leveled off'. While there are occasional minor inaccuracies in word choice or expression, such as saying 'starting the year 1960 at approximately 5M and reaching... in 1960' (which appears to be a slip of the pen for 2020 or a timeline mix-up), the vocabulary is more than adequate for the task and allows for precise reporting of trends, fitting the Band 6.5 descriptor well.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating participial phrases (e.g., 'before climbing to 20 million', 'starting the year 1960 at approximately 5M') and subordinate clauses effectively. Grammatical control is generally quite good, with numerous error-free sentences. However, there are some minor structural slips and temporal inconsistencies in the body paragraphs, such as repeating conflicting figures for the year 2020 ('reaching roughly 17M in 2020, and around 13 million in 2020') and timeline confusion ('reaching 10M and 5M respectively in 1960' for a span starting in 1960). These errors slightly hinder precision, placing the response at a Band 6.5.

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