Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-30

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 given line graph shows information about the number of jobs in four different sectors of economy in US, from year 1960 to 2020.

Overall, the two sectors namely, retail and healthcare follow an inclining pattern over the years. Manufacturing followed the same trend for around two decades and then declined sharply. Agriculture also followed declining pattern but there are no sharp patterns there.

For retail, we can see that in 1960 the number of jobs available were a little more than 5 million. Over the next twenty years the number of jobs climbed up to 10 million. The same trend is followed over the next years and and by 2020 there were about 15 million available jobs for this sector. Healthcare also followed the same trend as in 1960 the available jobs were around 2.5 million and eventually, over the years, the number rose up to about the same as retail.

Manufacturing follows an inclining trend in the first 20 years. The number of jobs rose from 15 million to 20 million. The graph started to decline from there, and by 2020 there were only about 13 million jobs available. Agriculture faces no sharp patterns. The number of jobs decline from around 6 million to 2.5 million, from the year 1960 to 1980. Then it stays steady till 2020, having around the same number of jobs as of 1980.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully reports the main features and trends across all four sectors shown in the line graph, meeting the requirements of Task 1. An overview is provided right at the beginning, noting the general upward patterns for retail and healthcare, and the differing trajectories for manufacturing and agriculture. Key data points are cited correctly, such as retail increasing from around 5 million to 16 million by 2020, and manufacturing peaking at 20 million in 1980 before declining. The comparisons between sectors are handled adequately, such as noting healthcare reaching 'about the same as retail' by the end of the period. The response covers all parts of the visual data accurately, placing the student solidly at Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay is clearly organized with a logical progression of ideas. An introduction containing a clear overview is followed by well-structured body paragraphs dedicated to specific groupings of sectors (retail and healthcare in one paragraph, manufacturing and agriculture in another). Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Over the next twenty years', and 'Then' are used to guide the reader through the data. However, there are minor cohesion flaws, such as the repetition of 'followed the same trend' and minor awkwardness in referencing like 'for this sector'. Paragraphing is used appropriately, resulting in a clear and coherent layout that fits the Band 7 descriptors.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing graphical data, utilizing terms like 'inclining pattern', 'declined sharply', 'rose up', and 'steady'. Less common lexical items and phrases are attempted with some success, such as 'climbing up' and 'faces no sharp patterns'. However, there are some word choice and collocation inaccuracies or slightly unnatural phrasings, such as 'sectors of economy' (missing article) and 'inclining pattern' (upward trend is more natural). Vocabulary is sufficient to allow flexibility and precision, but occasional errors prevent a higher score, aligning well with Band 6.5 or 7.0; a Band 6.5 is awarded to reflect these minor lexical slips.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over past and present time frames. Examples of complex structures include relative clauses and adverbial time clauses, such as 'The graph started to decline from there, and by 2020 there were only about 13 million jobs available.' While many sentences are grammatically sound, there are some minor errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'the number of jobs available were' (subject-verb agreement error with 'jobs' versus 'number'), missing prepositions, and a repetitive sentence structure in places. These errors do not impede communication, supporting a Band 6.5 score.

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