Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-04

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 compares the amount of jobs across four sectors of the US economy from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, although started as considerably low, the retail and healthcare sectors produced the most jobs by the end of given period. In contrast, the domains of manufacturing and agriculture, despite of early rise of manufacturing sector, followed a steady dip in job production until 2020.

Initially, manufacturing sector stood as highest job producer with 15 million jobs in 1960 and peaked in subsequent years reaching to the greatest number of 20 million jobs in 1980. However, it fell dramatically afterwards managing to produce jobs just above 15 million and less than 15 million in 2000 and 2020, respectively. In contrast, the healthcare sector was the lowest job producer in 1960 with just over a million jobs. Nevertheless, it kept it up its steady rise as it produced 5 million jobs in 1980, over 10 million in 2000 and eventually producing the joint most jobs with retail sector in 2020 amounting to over 15 million.

Similarly, the retail sector started with over 5 million jobs in 1960 and continued to rise upto 10 million in 1980, 15 million in 2000 and over 15 million jobs in 2020. The agriculture sector, started better than healthcare sector with over a million jobs but it kept on falling substantially in numbers with below 5 million jobs in 1980 and 2000, and ended the given period with the lowest number of jobs of all the four sectora that were just over a million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and highlighting key trends and comparisons across all four sectors. The main features are accurately identified, such as the dramatic growth in healthcare and retail alongside the decline in agriculture and manufacturing. The information is fully supported by accurate references to the data provided in the graph, showing a strong ability to select and report salient features. However, the explanation of some details leans slightly toward listing data points rather than extending analysis, which keeps the response just below the highest bands. The selection of information is generally well-judged, presenting a clear summary of the data throughout the 60-year period.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from the introduction through the overview to the detailed body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each body paragraph focusing on specific sectors or comparisons. However, cohesion is occasionally mechanical or faulty, as seen in the transition "Similarly, the retail sector..." which does not fully fit the contrasting data progression being described. Referencing and cohesive devices are generally functional, but some referencing choices lack seamless integration. To reach a higher level, the response would benefit from more varied and subtle cohesive links that manage the flow of information without drawing mechanical attention to themselves.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common lexical items such as "dramatically," "substantially," and "sectora." Word choice is generally appropriate, though there are minor inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as "amount of jobs" instead of "number of jobs," and a typographical error with "sectora." The vocabulary successfully conveys the main trends and data points without impeding communication, but the control over less common vocabulary lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher band levels. Phrasing occasionally feels repetitive, relying on standard reporting verbs and adjectives to describe the shifts in the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like subordinate clauses and contrastive markers. There are some noticeable errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles (e.g., "started as considerably low," "with below 5 million jobs"), preposition errors (e.g., "reaching to the greatest number"), and issues with restrictive clauses and tense consistency. Despite these errors, they rarely impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout. To achieve a higher score, the student needs to demonstrate greater control over complex sentence patterns and eliminate basic errors in article usage and prepositions.

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