Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-05

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 chart presents the information about the number of jobs in four economic sectors (manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare) in the United States, over the period of 60 years, from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, the retail and healthcare sectors created a large number of employement oppurtinites, with a steady growth throughout the given period. The number of jobs declined sharply in the manufacturing sector, whereas in agriculture, the it gradually dropped.

The retail sector saw an upward trajectory until 2000, providing 15 million jobs, and a slower growth afterwards till 2020, adding 1 million more jobs. Regarding healthcare, it was the lowest job sharing sector to the economy in the beginning with only 2 million jobs in 1960. However, it saw a sharp rise every year, and reached at 5 million in 1980, 11 million in 2000, and 16 million in 2020, equalizing the retail sector.

On the other hand, although manufacturing sector was the top job provider for first 20 years, it saw a huge decline every year, and went to 13 million jobs from 20 million. While agriculture sector was producing 6 million jobs in 1960, it suffered with a steady loss of 3 million jobs in 20 years, stayed at it until 2000, but followed a slow loss of 1 million jobs until 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear overview and reporting the main features of the four economic sectors across the given timeline. Key data points, such as the growth of retail and healthcare alongside the decline in manufacturing and agriculture, are accurately cited. An overview is present in the second paragraph, capturing the overarching trends effectively. However, some areas are slightly under-developed; for instance, the description of agriculture could be integrated more smoothly, and minor inaccuracies exist regarding the starting points and precise trajectory of specific sectors, though the general trends are correctly mapped. This performance solidly demonstrates the characteristics of the awarded band, balancing clear coverage with minor gaps in full extension.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The report displays a clear overall logical arrangement with a recognizable progression from the introduction to the overview and body paragraphs. Information is divided into logical paragraphs, with the first body paragraph focusing on retail and healthcare, and the second addressing manufacturing and agriculture. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas, such as 'Overall', 'Regarding', and 'On the other hand'. However, referencing and cohesion can occasionally feel somewhat mechanical or slightly clunky, as seen in phrases like 'the lowest job sharing sector'. Progression is generally maintained throughout, showing the foundational strengths of the band alongside elements that keep it from reaching higher levels of seamless, unobtrusive flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items related to economic trends, such as 'upward trajectory', 'sharp rise', and 'huge decline'. However, there are some spelling errors ('oppurtinites') and minor lexical inaccuracies or awkward collocations, such as 'lowest job sharing sector'. Despite these vocabulary and spelling slips, communication is never impeded, and the reader can easily follow the data being reported. This demonstrates a sufficient lexicon for the task, incorporating attempts at more sophisticated vocabulary that place it securely at the awarded level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and introductory prepositional phrases effectively. There are some grammatical errors in article usage, prepositional patterns, and redundancy, such as 'in agriculture, the it gradually dropped', 'reached at 5 million', and 'although manufacturing sector'. Nevertheless, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication. The control of punctuation and basic sentence structures is generally sound, reflecting a mix of error-free sentences alongside some persistent inaccuracies typical of this band level.

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