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 illustrates trends of the job numbers in the manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare sectors of the US economy over the course of sixty years from 1960 to 2020. Overall, the number of jobs increased significantly in the retail and heathcare sectors whereas, the agriculture and manufacturing sectors face a gradual decrease in the number of jobs.
The most notable growth in the number of jobs occured in the healthcare sector, where it significantly increased from 2 to just above 15 jobs in million. The number in jobs the manufacturing sector increased steadily till 1980 but it suffered from a sharp decrease afterwards up till the year 2020.
On the other hand, the retail and agricuture industries started off from the same point but the retail sector showed a gradual increase where it tripled from 5 to just above 15 jobs in million, meeting the same value as healthcare in the year 2020 while, the agriculture sector experienced a small decline in its numbers, with number of jobs decreasing by half by the year 2020.
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 the main features and making relevant comparisons across the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. An overview is provided in the second sentence, capturing the general upward trends in retail and healthcare alongside the downward trends in agriculture and manufacturing. Key data points are cited accurately, such as healthcare rising from 2 to 15 million and manufacturing peaking around 1980 before declining. However, there are minor numerical phrasing slips, such as writing "15 jobs in million" instead of "15 million jobs". Despite this, the core requirements of Task 1 are well covered.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response demonstrates a clear logical organisation with a recognizable introduction, overview, and body paragraphs grouped by sector trends. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as "Overall", "On the other hand", and "whereas". Paragraphing is appropriate and separates the information effectively. Progression is maintained throughout the text, although some referencing and transitional phrases feel slightly mechanical or repetitive ("The number in jobs", "the retail and agricuture industries"). Overall, the information flows coherently from the general overview to specific details.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The vocabulary used is adequate and generally appropriate for an academic report. The student attempts less common lexical items and collocations such as "gradual decrease", "notable growth", "steady increase", and "sharp decrease". However, there are some minor word-formation and collocation inaccuracies, such as "the job numbers" instead of "employment levels" or "the number of jobs", and "jobs in million" rather than "million jobs". Spelling is accurate throughout, and while the lexical range is somewhat limited, it is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The student displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses and conjunctions effectively (e.g., "whereas, the agriculture and manufacturing sectors face a gradual decrease" and "where it significantly increased from 2 to just above 15"). Control over grammar is generally good, though there are occasional tense inconsistencies (e.g., shifting between present tense "face" and past tense "occured") and a missing comma/preposition slip ("meeting the same value as healthcare in the year 2020 while, the agriculture sector..."). The majority of sentences are clear and error-free enough not to impede communication.
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