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 line graph traces the number of jobs in four sectors of the US economy in the time frame of 6 decades from 1960 to 2020.

overall, the retail and healthcare sector showed substantial growth over the time in offering jobs. Although manufacturing and the agriculture sector declined gradually from where the initially started in the same period of time.

Initially, the manufacturing sector was highest employer with 15 million jobs in 1960, whereas the agriculture sector only provided 6 milion in the same year. The manufacturing sector rose to peak of 20 million in the year 1980, however, the agriculture sector declined to 3 million in same year. Over the end of the period manufacturing and the agriculture sector both plunged to 13 million and 2 million jobs respectively.

In contrast, even after fewest jobs in early years, the retail and healthcare sector followed upwards trend starting with 6 million and 3 million jobs in the year 1960 respectively. Retail surged to 15 million jobs in the year 2000, further increasing to 16 million in the year 2020. Meanwhile, the healthcare sector nearly rose to 16 million to all time high in the year 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features, trends, and comparisons of the four economic sectors between 1960 and 2020. An overview is present at the beginning, noting the contrasting trajectories of retail and healthcare versus manufacturing and agriculture. Key data points are correctly cited, such as manufacturing peaking at 20 million in 1980 and healthcare reaching 16 million by 2020. Minor inaccuracies in data interpretation exist, such as stating retail started with 6 million in 1960 (actually agriculture was 6 million while retail was around 6 million too, so this is acceptable) and a couple of minor typos ('milion'), but overall, the information is accurately reflected and well-supported with relevant figures.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. It begins with an introductory sentence, followed by an overview paragraph, a body paragraph detailing manufacturing and agriculture, and a final body paragraph discussing retail and healthcare. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'whereas', 'however', and 'meanwhile' are used effectively to guide the reader through the comparisons. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and referencing throughout the text is clear. While cohesion is generally well-managed, slightly more sophisticated transitions could elevate the score further.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate to good range of vocabulary appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response, using terms such as 'substantial growth', 'declined gradually', 'plunged', 'upwards trend', and 'surged'. Less common lexical items are attempted with general success, though there are occasional inaccuracies or awkward phrasings like 'highest employer' (rather than 'the sector with the highest number of jobs') and a spelling slip ('milion'). However, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey precise meaning and trends effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The student uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses and contrastive markers effectively (e.g., 'Although manufacturing and the agriculture sector declined gradually from where they initially started...'). There are occasional grammatical errors and punctuation oversights, such as lowercase letters at the beginning of sentences ('overall, the retail...') and missing articles or preposition slips ('rose to peak', 'in same year'). Nevertheless, these errors do not impede communication, and the majority of sentences remain clear and comprehensible.

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