Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-19

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 employment rate across four areas of the US economy from the year 1960 to 2020. The four areas of jobs mentioned in the graph are manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare.

The graph indicates that manufacturing area of US economy had the highest number of jobs in 1960 accounting for the 15 millions of jobs. It has shown a developing trend till 1980 with the most number of jobs across all other sectors, recording for the 20 millions of jobs. It has shown a declining trend from 1980 to 2020 and the number of jobs reduced to 13 million. Whereas, retail and agriculture had the same number of jobs in 1960. After 1960, retail sector has shown a developing trend in the empolyment area with 17 million jobs in 2020. On the contrary, the domain of agriculture has shown a declining trend since 1960 and accounted for only 2 milllion jobs in total. Moreover, the healthcare sector has also shown an increaing trend of employment since 1960 and accounted for the most number of jobs in 2020 (16 million) which is the same number of jobs as the retail sector.

In conclusion, manufacturing and agricultural domains of the US economy has shown a declining trend in employment till 2020 whereas, retail and healthcare sector contribute most to the US economy with the highest number of jobs in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features, trends, and comparisons across the four economic sectors shown in the graph. The overview is clearly stated in the conclusion, and key data points such as the peak of manufacturing in 1980 (20 million) and the figures for retail and healthcare in 2020 (both 16 million) are accurately cited and supported. The student effectively contrasts the declining sectors (manufacturing and agriculture) with the growing ones (retail and healthcare). The information is fully grounded in the provided visual data, demonstrating a clear understanding of the task requirements without any significant omissions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organised with a clear beginning, body, and conclusion. Information flows reasonably well through the use of cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'on the contrary', and 'moreover'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, body details, and conclusion. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and referencing could be smoother in places (e.g., 'manufacturing area of US economy' and repeated use of 'has shown a developing trend'). Overall, progression is clear and easy to follow, meeting the criteria for a solid band 6.5 to 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an Academic Task 1 response, using terms such as 'employment rate', 'sector', 'declining trend', and 'domain'. There are some successful attempts at less common vocabulary, but also noticeable word-choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'developing trend' instead of 'upward trend' or 'growth', and spelling errors like 'empolyment' and 'increaing'. Additionally, awkward phrasing such as 'accounting for the 15 millions of jobs' and 'milllion' slightly detracts from precision, keeping the lexical score at a band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses introduced by 'whereas' and 'which'. There is good control over basic verb tenses, successfully moving between past tense references (1960, 1980) and present tense verbs. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward articles, such as 'accounting for the 15 millions of jobs', 'most number of jobs', and missing pluralization or incorrect prepositions. Despite these errors, they do not impede communication, allowing the essay to achieve a band 6.0.

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