Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-28

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 number of employees in four different sectors of the economy in the United States between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, the number of jobs in retail and healthcare increased, while the number of jobs in manufacturing and agriculture decreased over the period.

At the beginning, the number of jobs in retail increased steadily over the six decades about six million jobs in 1960 to approximately sixteen million in 2020. Similarly, the number of jobs in healthcare increased dramatically over six decades from about two million in 1960 to sixteen million in 2020.

In contrast, the number of jobs in manufacturing increased steadily over two decades from fifteen million in 1960 to twenty million in 1980, and it decreased dramatically over four decades from twenty million in 1980 to approximately thirteen million in 2020, while the number of jobs in agriculture decreased dramatically from approximately six million in 1960 to three million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully covers all four sectors of the economy shown in the chart and provides an appropriate overview highlighting the main overall trends (retail and healthcare increasing, manufacturing and agriculture decreasing). Key data points and comparisons are reported accurately, such as retail rising from about six million in 1960 to sixteen million in 2020, and healthcare surging from two million to sixteen million. The student also correctly notes the trajectory of manufacturing, which peaked at twenty million in 1980 before declining. The data is faithful to the visual prompt and fulfils all requirements of an Academic Task 1 response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, an overview paragraph, and body paragraphs that group related data logically. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'At the beginning', 'Similarly', and 'In contrast' are used effectively to guide the reader through the information and establish clear relationships between the economic sectors. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and there is a clear progression of ideas from the overview to specific data details.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary appropriate for reporting statistical data, using terms such as 'illustrates', 'sector', 'increased steadily', 'decreased dramatically', and 'approximately'. There are some slight infelicities, such as the missing preposition in 'about six million jobs in 1960' (which should be 'from about six million'), but overall the vocabulary is adequate to convey precise trends and figures without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writing contains a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as compound sentences linked with 'while' and 'and'. Grammatical control is generally quite good, with many error-free sentences. However, there are minor prepositional tracking issues, such as omitting 'from' before 'about six million jobs in 1960'. Punctuation is accurate, and structural errors are infrequent and do not impede communication, placing the response solidly in the Band 7 range.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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