Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-22
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 provides an illustration of the changes in number of jobs across four sectors in the United States including: Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture and Healthcare from 1960 to 2020.
Overall, manufacturing and healthcare are the two sectors with the most substantial growth across the 60 year period. However, manufacturing had an increase in jobs from 1960 to 1980 but afterwards, it steadily declined from 1980 onwards. Healthcare is the one with the most consistent growth from 1960 to 2020. Retail showed a steady increase while agriculture showed a steady decline.
Manufacturing had 15 million jobs in 1960 which peaked in 1980 and had 20 million jobs. Then it steadily declined and by 2020, had jobs between 10 and 15 million. Healthcare, on the other hand, had less than 5 million jobs in 1960 and saw a steady growth over the span of 60 years. Therefore, by 2020, healthcare had 15 million jobs. Retail had around 5 million jobs in 1960 and by 2020, it had 15 million jobs, same as healthcare. Agriculture is the one which had the same number of jobs as retail in 1960, however, it showed a steady decline over the span of 60 years and had less than 5 million jobs by 2020.
Therefore, healthcare had the most consistent growth with retail following closely, agriculture had a steady decline while manufacturing saw a substantial growth initially but then had a steady decline afterwards.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The student provides a clear overview of the main trends shown in the line graph, correctly identifying the overall trajectories for all four sectors. Key data points are selected and reported accurately, such as manufacturing peaking at 20 million in 1980 before declining, and healthcare growing consistently to reach 15 million in 2020. Comparisons are made effectively throughout the response, particularly in noting similarities and differences between sectors at various points in time. All parts of the prompt are fully satisfied with no major omissions.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory paragraph, followed by an effective overview, body paragraphs detailing the specific data points, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices are used appropriately, such as 'Overall', 'Then', 'on the other hand', and 'Therefore', ensuring smooth transitions between sentences and ideas. Paragraphing is logical, with each paragraph serving a distinct function in structuring the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary used is generally adequate and appropriate for an academic task, incorporating suitable terms such as 'substantial growth', 'steadily declined', and 'consistently'. There are some successful attempts at less common lexical items related to data trends. However, the range is somewhat repetitive in places, relying frequently on phrases like 'steady growth' and 'steady decline', which prevents the lexical score from reaching a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
The student demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Manufacturing had 15 million jobs in 1960 which peaked in 1980 and had 20 million jobs.' Grammatical control is generally sound, with frequent error-free sentences. Minor issues occur, such as a missing article ('the changes in number of jobs') and slightly repetitive clause structures, but these errors are infrequent and do not impede communication.
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