Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-23

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 the information regarding the total jobs in manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare fields in the USA from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, the number of jobs in retail and healthcare sectors experienced an increasing trend, while other sectors faced a decreasing trend over the period.

Moving into more detail, manufacturing sector had the highest number of jobs as compared to other sectors in 1960, it increased by 5 million pointed at 20 million in 2 decades. After this, jobs in manufacturing sector declined dramatically and stood at around 13 million in 2020. Moreover, the employment in retail field surged steadily from 5 million to 15 million in 2000, which rose slightly in next 20 years and accounted for almost 16 million.

Furthermore, the healthcare sector jobs escalated sharply, which was 3 million in 1960 and reached at 16 million in 2020. Additionally, the employment in agriculture sector fell by around 3 million in 1980, after that, it stayed constant for 2 decades and faced slight decline in 2020, which was reported as 2 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the four economic sectors. The overview clearly identifies the major trends, noting that retail and healthcare increased while manufacturing and agriculture declined. Key data points are accurately cited from the chart, such as manufacturing peaking at 20 million in 1980 and agriculture falling to 2 million by 2020. The information is well-supported with specific figures, and no major data is misread or invented. Ideas are logically selected, presenting a well-rounded and accurate summary of the visual data that fully satisfies the requirements of Academic Task 1.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is clearly structured with a logical overall progression. It begins with a standard introductory paraphrase, moves into a clear overview paragraph, and then divides the detailed body information logically across two paragraphs. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different sector trends. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Moving into more detail', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore' are employed to guide the reader through the data, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Referencing and progression are generally clear throughout the text, maintaining a coherent and easy-to-follow narrative from start to finish.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary appropriate for describing statistical trends, including terms like 'increasing trend', 'declined dramatically', 'surged steadily', and 'stayed constant'. There are some successful attempts at less common lexical items, although minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation occur, such as 'pointed at 20 million' instead of 'peaking at 20 million' and 'reached at 16 million' instead of 'reached 16 million'. Spelling is accurate throughout, and vocabulary choice is sufficient to communicate the main features clearly without impeding the reader's understanding.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and subordinate clauses such as 'which rose slightly in next 20 years' and 'which was reported as 2 million'. There is good control over basic grammatical structures, and punctuation is generally handled well. However, minor grammatical errors persist, including missing prepositions or articles (e.g., 'in manufacturing sector' instead of 'in the manufacturing sector') and awkward phrasing like 'which was 3 million in 1960 and reached at 16 million'. These errors do not impede communication, and there are enough error-free sentences to secure a solid band 6.5.

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.