Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-03

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 comparison between four different job sectors of US during 1960 to 2020.

Job opportunities in manufacturing remained the highest amongst all till 2000 and it declined afterwards. Meanwhile, the number of jobs in healthcare was least in 1960. A significant growth in this sector was seen after 1980 and it became the top department alongwith retail in 2020.

Additionally both of the departments, agriculture and retail were offering equal number of jobs in 1960. However, the extent of saturation got changed differently for both. Number of vacancies in agriculture sector showed a fall till 1980 and then it became steady till 2020. In meantime, a continous growth was observed in the division of retail which finally surpassed manufacturing sector after 2000.

Overall, number of jobs in retail and healthcare showed a substantial rise. while, number of jobs in agriculture department remaind lowest of all throughout this duration.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by presenting an overview of the four job sectors and reporting the main features, such as the initial dominance of manufacturing and the growth in healthcare and retail. Comparisons are made appropriately across the years. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed; for instance, the description of the agriculture sector could have been extended by contrasting its downward trend more sharply with the upward trajectories of retail and healthcare. The overview provided at the end captures the key global trends accurately, which reflects the solid performance at this level, though a more detailed integration of the initial figures would elevate the response further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from the introduction through the body paragraphs to the concluding summary. Information is organised reasonably well, with paragraphing used to separate distinct comparisons. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'Meanwhile', 'Additionally', and 'In meantime', though some referencing and cohesion feel a bit mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'both of the departments'. To reach a higher level, the transitions between sentences could be made smoother and more varied, avoiding repetitive linking patterns and ensuring that referencing within and across sentences is tighter and more natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

An adequate range of vocabulary is deployed for the task, successfully attempting less common items and descriptive phrases such as 'job opportunities', 'significant growth', 'saturation', and 'surpassed'. However, there are some word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'extent of saturation got changed differently' and 'agriculture department remaind lowest', along with a spelling slip ('remaind'). While these lexical errors do not impede communication, they reflect a limited precision in word formation and stylistic control. To achieve a higher band, a wider and more natural control of less common vocabulary and collocations is required, alongside greater accuracy in word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over relative clauses and contrasting structures like 'However, the extent of saturation got changed differently for both.' There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles ('comparison between four different job sectors of US', 'lowest of all') and minor prepositions, but they rarely impede communication. The majority of simple structures are clear and well-controlled. To progress further, the writer needs to incorporate a wider variety of error-free complex structures with consistent precision in article usage and punctuation.

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