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 data on the number of jobs in sectors including Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture, and Healthcare in the USA from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, manufacturing and agriculture sectors recorded a downward trend, while retail and healthcare saw a marked increase. Retail and healthcare showed the most significant growth.

Looking at the number of jobs in manufacturing and agriculture areas, Maunfacturing started off at 15 million jobs initially, rose substantially to 20 million in the following year before decreasing to approximately 13 million by the end. In contrast, the agriculture sector stood at just over 5 million in 1960, dipped to just 3 million in 1980 before standing at the same point by 2020.

In terms of Retail and Healthcare, both showed an upward trend. The number of employees was just above 5 million, increased to a large extent at 15 million in 2000, after which it recorded a subtle shift to almost 16 million in 2020. In contrast, the figure of healthcare began with only 2 million, and climbed to just over 15, meeting the figure of Retail by the end.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features and making relevant comparisons across the four economic sectors. An overview is provided, noting the upward and downward trends accurately. Key data points are cited, such as manufacturing starting at 15 million and dropping to 13 million, and retail/healthcare increasing significantly. However, there is a minor error in stating that manufacturing rose to 20 million "in the following year" (the graph shows intervals of 20 years, not single years), and the description of retail in the final paragraph is slightly confused regarding specific figures ("just above 5 million" mistakenly applied to retail's starting point instead of agriculture/healthcare). Nonetheless, the overall selection and reporting of trends meet the requirements for a solid band 6.5 or 7.0, supported by clear comparisons.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is arranged logically into four paragraphs, comprising an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs dedicated to contrasting sector trends. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as "Overall", "Looking at", and "In contrast". Progression is generally clear throughout the text, guiding the reader from general trends to specific sectoral data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the groups of data. However, referencing in the final paragraph becomes slightly vague when discussing retail and healthcare jointly ("The number of employees was just above 5 million... after which it recorded a subtle shift..."), which creates slight ambiguity about which sector is being described. Overall, the organizational structure is coherent and logical, fitting the band 7 descriptor well.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for a Task 1 response, using terms such as "downward trend", "marked increase", "substantially", and "subtle shift". There are some successful attempts at less common lexical items. However, there is a spelling error ("Maunfacturing") and some awkward phrasing and lexical imprecision, such as "stood at the same point" or the confusion in data attribution in the final paragraph. Despite these occasional slips and inaccuracies, communication is not impeded, and the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main trends and comparisons effectively, aligning with a band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over structures such as subordinate clauses ("while retail and healthcare saw a marked increase", "after which it recorded a subtle shift"). There are frequent error-free sentences, and grammar and punctuation are generally well controlled. Minor errors do occur, such as the tense/time confusion ("in the following year" for a 20-year gap) and slight awkwardness in prepositional usage or article omission (e.g., "the figure of healthcare"). These errors are non-systematic and do not impede communication, allowing the response to comfortably achieve a band 6.5.

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