Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-25

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 graph provides data on the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, in 1960, manufacturing was the largest figure of job sector of the economy while health care had the least number. In contrast, retail and healthcare were the dominant figure whereas agriculture stayed at the bottom.

Regarding manufacturing of the economy, the figure started at 15 million at the beginning of the period. It then rose considerably to 20 million, which was the peak figure on the chart. After that, the figure dropped steadily to around 13 million by 2020.

The figure for retail accounted for 6 millin while healthcare was only below 3 million in 1960. Both figures experienced an upward trend, reaching 16 million and took the lead by 2020. In contrast, the figure for agriculture stood at around 6 million in 1960. The figure then showed a downward trend and reached around 3 million by 2020, which remained at the lowest position.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the prompt by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the four economic sectors in the US between 1960 and 2020. An overview is provided, noting the shifts in dominance (such as manufacturing starting high and declining, while retail and healthcare grew to take the lead). Key data points, such as manufacturing reaching a peak of 20 million and agriculture declining to 2 million, are accurately cited from the graph. The information is well-selected, and the response fulfills all requirements of Academic Task 1 without noticeable omissions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response exhibits clear logical organization and progression throughout. Information is grouped logically by sector and time period across four paragraphs, which includes a clear introductory sentence and an overall summary paragraph. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Regarding manufacturing', and 'After that' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data, although occasional phrasing is slightly formulaic. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas and categories.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms like 'considerably', 'peak figure', 'downward trend', and 'dominant'. There are a few spelling and typographical errors, such as 'millin' instead of 'million', and some slight awkwardness in phrasing like 'largest figure of job sector of the economy'. However, the lexical choices are generally precise enough to convey the trends and comparisons clearly without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response contains a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'It then rose considerably to 20 million, which was the peak figure on the chart.' Grammar and punctuation are generally well-controlled, and the majority of sentences are grammatically sound. While there are minor mechanical errors and occasional awkward noun-phrase constructions (e.g., 'manufacturing of the economy'), these errors are infrequent and do not impede communication.

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.