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 given graph numerically illustrates the increase and decrease in the number of jobs in the four economic sectors of US in the sixty years from 1960 to 2020.
It is worth noticing that the trend in the job position acted differently in different sectors. Healthcare and retail sectors showed increase in the number of jobs in these sixty years. In contrast, agriculture and manufacturing sectors have seen decline in this time period.
Healthcare sector had fewer jobs initially in comparison to other three sectors but over time number of positions for healthcare sector increased steadily with more than 15 million jobs in the year 2020. Similarly, retail also showed increase in the jobs but the trend was almost constant from 2000 to 2020.
In contrast to these, manufacturing sector with the 15 million jobs in 1960 showed a remarkable increase in following 2 decades but declined after 1980 to less than fifteen million in the year 2020. Looking at the agriculture sector, it can be seen that the number decreased from year 1960 to 1980 and after that there was a subtle change in workforce.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting on the main features and trends of the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, correctly identifying the overall upward trends for healthcare and retail, and downward trends for agriculture and manufacturing. Key data points, such as healthcare reaching over 15 million jobs in 2020 and manufacturing peaking at 20 million in 1980, are accurately cited from the visual data. The response meets the requirements well and provides relevant comparisons, though some minor data details could be further elaborated. This performance aligns comfortably with Band 7 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The response exhibits a clear overall progression and logical organization. Information is grouped logically by sector trends, separating growing sectors from declining ones. Paragraphing is used appropriately to divide the introduction, overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific sectors. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Similarly', and 'over time' are employed to guide the reader through the data. However, occasional minor cohesion issues appear, such as repetitive transitions and occasional missing articles affecting seamless flow. Overall, the structural arrangement is clear, supporting a Band 7 score.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, utilizing terms like 'numerical illustrates', 'workforce', 'subtle change', and economic sectors. Less common vocabulary items are attempted, such as 'remarkable increase' and 'trend was almost constant'. However, there are a few lexical inaccuracies and missing articles, such as writing 'four economic sectors of US' instead of 'the US'. Word choice and collocations are generally clear and do not impede communication, placing the response solidly in Band 6.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating clauses with 'In contrast to these' and relative or participial descriptions. There are several grammatical errors present, particularly missing articles ('in four economic sectors of US', 'Healthcare sector had fewer jobs', 'retail also showed increase in the jobs') and minor preposition slips. Nevertheless, these errors do not impede communication, and frequent error-free sentences can be found throughout the text. This balance of complex structures and persistent minor errors warrants a Band 6.
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