Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-14

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 number of jobs in different four fields of the economy in US from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, Manufacturing began with the highest figure, while retail and healthcare although initialized with low figures experience the substantial surge throughout the time period. Meanwhile, Agriculture ended up with lowest figure.

To begin with, Manufacturing had the highest number of jobs in 1960 at 15 million which increased marginally till 1980 reaching a peak of 20 million. However, after 1980 it experienced a substantial decline overtime reaching around 13 million by 2020.

Furthermore, Retail started off with around 6 million in 1960 which then experienced a massive surge by reaching around 16 million by 2020. However, the most significant change occured for Healthcare field as it experienced a dramatic increase over the period of time reaching around 16 million in 2020 from just 2 million in 1960.

In contrast, Agriculture remained the sector with lowest number of jobs by 2020. It began with around 6 million in 1960 but experienced a gradual decrease overtime reaching figures below 2 million by 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response effectively covers all parts of the task by summarizing the main trends and making clear comparisons between the four economic sectors. An appropriate overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting the key contrasts such as Manufacturing starting highest and Retail and Healthcare experiencing substantial growth. The student selects and reports key features accurately, noting figures like 15 million for Manufacturing in 1960 and the dramatic rise in Healthcare. The information is well-supported with data from the graph, and the response meets all requirements for Academic Task 1.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The report displays a clear overall progression and logical organization. Information is grouped logically by sector into distinct paragraphs, which aids readability. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'In contrast' are used appropriately to guide the reader through the data, although referencing and transitions could be slightly smoother in places. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and effectively to separate the overview from detailed body paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary suitable for an Academic Task 1 response, employing terms such as 'substantial surge', 'marginal increase', and 'dramatic increase'. However, there are a few minor lexical inaccuracies or awkward phrasings, such as 'different four fields' instead of 'four different fields' and 'initialized' instead of 'started' or 'commenced'. Spelling and word choice are generally accurate enough that communication is never impeded.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and adverbial time markers effectively (e.g., 'which increased marginally till 1980 reaching a peak...'). There are occasional minor grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('with lowest figure' instead of 'with the lowest figure') and a missing hyphen in 'overtime' instead of 'over time'. Punctuation is generally sound, and the majority of sentences are clear and grammatically controlled.

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