Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-16

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 illustrates information on the number of jobs in four sector of the US economy, namely manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare, between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, employment in manufacturing and agriculture declined over the period, while figure for retail and healthcare increased. Manufacturing was the largest employer initially, however healthcare and retail had become the leading sectors by 2020.

In 1960, manufacturing provided approximately 15 million jobs, considerably more than retail and agriculture, at around 6 million each. Healthcare had the fewest job, at about 2.5 million. Manufacturing then rose to a peak of 20 million by 1980 before falling gradually to 13 million in 2020. In the meantime, retail increased steadily from 6 million to 10 million in 1980 eventually reached around 16 million.

By contrast, healthcare experienced the most dramatic growth, rising from 2.5 million jobs in 1960 to 5 million in 1980, 11 million in 2000 and 16 million in 2020. Whereas, agriculture declined to approximately 2 million by the end of the period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and highlighting the main trends and significant figures across the four economic sectors. The data reported is accurate and well-grounded in the visual reference, noting the initial dominance of manufacturing and the overtaking by retail and healthcare by 2020. Key figures such as the peak of manufacturing at 20 million in 1980 and the final values of 16 million for both retail and healthcare are correctly stated. The response fulfills the requirements of Academic Task 1 effectively, demonstrating a clear understanding of the visual information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The text is logically organized into four paragraphs, beginning with a clear introduction and a concise overview paragraph that captures the primary trends. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different periods and sectors. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In 1960', 'By contrast', and 'Whereas' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data and make comparisons. Progression is clear throughout, though occasional minor slip-ups in referencing, such as 'while figure for retail', slightly disrupt the flow. Overall, the response maintains a coherent and logical structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate to good range of vocabulary suited to describing statistical trends, using terms such as 'illustrates', 'declined', 'peak', 'increased steadily', and 'dramatic growth'. There are occasional minor lexical and grammatical slips regarding word forms, such as 'four sector' instead of 'four sectors', 'figure' instead of 'figures', and 'fewest job' instead of 'fewest jobs'. However, these errors do not impede communication, and the vocabulary used is sufficiently precise to convey the main features and comparisons of the graph effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response employs a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses and prepositional phrases smoothly (e.g., 'Manufacturing then rose to a peak of 20 million by 1980 before falling gradually to 13 million in 2020'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is handled well. There are a few isolated grammatical inaccuracies, such as missing plural markers ('four sector', 'fewest job') and a sentence fragment ('Whereas, agriculture declined...'), but these errors occur infrequently and do not obscure the meaning.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.