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 line chart giver information regarding number of jobs in manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare sectors in US from 1960 to 2020.
Overall, what stands out from the graph is number of employment in manufacturing sector was highest, whereas employment in agriculture was least. Employment in retail and healthcare sector was lowest.However in 2020 jobs in both the sector increased considerably.
Initially, in 1960 employment in agriculture sector was 6 million approximately, and from 1980 to 2000 the ratio remained stable following a slight decline in 2020. However, jobs in manufacturing sector were highest around 15 million in 1960 and in 1980 increased approximately 20 million but later reduced noticeably around 14 in million in 2020. Retail and healthcare sector rose sharply throughout the period and reached at same point.
In conclusion, earlier in 1960 manufacturing sector provided highest number of jobs, whereas in 2020 retail and healthcare accounted for the largest share of employment.
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. The overview highlights key trends, noting that manufacturing started highest while agriculture was lowest, and that retail and healthcare eventually grew significantly. Specific data points, such as manufacturing starting around 15 million and agriculture starting at 6 million, are accurately cited from the visual data. The response meets the minimum word count and adequately covers the data without major omissions, earning a solid band score for this criterion.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The response is organized into four logical paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, a body paragraph detailing specific trends, and a concluding summary. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Initially', 'However', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader through the data. However, there are minor cohesion and referencing issues, such as 'Employment in retail and healthcare sector was lowest. However in 2020 jobs in both the sector increased considerably', which contains a slight contradiction since healthcare actually started very low (2 million). Progression is generally clear throughout, though transitions could be smoother.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for an Academic Task 1 response, using terms such as 'employment', 'manufacturing sector', 'stable', 'decline', and 'sharply'. There are some minor lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as writing 'giver information' instead of 'gives information', referring to the ratio in agriculture instead of the number of jobs, and omitting articles ('in US' instead of 'in the US'). Despite these occasional errors, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without impeding communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Initially, in 1960 employment in agriculture sector was 6 million approximately, and from 1980 to 2000 the ratio remained stable following a slight decline in 2020.' While there are several grammatical errors—including missing articles ('the manufacturing sector', 'both sectors'), minor punctuation issues, and a slight error with preposition usage ('reached at same point' instead of 'reached the same point')—the majority of sentences are understandable, and errors rarely impede communication.
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