Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-06

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 6.0)

The graph illustrates the number of jobs in four different sectors of US such as agriculture, manufacturing, retail and healthcare from 1960 to 2020. It shows the data of number of jobs one side and the number of years passed on the other. Unit of measurement is million.

Overall the graph depicts a rise in the number of jobs in retail and healthcare department over the years. While the feilds such as agriculture and manufacturing shows a decline in their respective job markets.

The manufacturing department started off really well offering 15 million jobs in 1960 reaching its peak in 1980. However, the trend went down tremendously reaching the lowest in 2020. On the contrary, the retail sector of US economy showed a consistent rise in number of job reaching over 15 million jobs in 2020.

The agriculture sector intially had 5 million jobs in 1960 steadily decreasing till 2020. The most significant change has been seen in the healthcare sector having less then 5 million jobs in 1960 climbing continiously to reach over 15 million jobs in the year 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the main overall contrast: retail and healthcare rise, while agriculture and manufacturing decline overall. You also report several relevant figures, including manufacturing at 15 million in 1960 and its 1980 peak, and healthcare’s strong growth. However, some details are inaccurate or imprecise: agriculture begins at about 6 million, not 5, and manufacturing’s lowest point is not clearly described as 2020 because it falls from 20 to about 13 million. The retail figure of over 15 million in 2020 is broadly accurate, but its steady rise could be compared more precisely with healthcare, which reaches a similar level. Develop the overview with the key ranking changes and use accurate figures to support each trend.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear four-part structure: an introduction, an overview, and two detail paragraphs. The overview gives the reader a useful map of the main trends, and phrases such as “On the contrary” help signal a comparison. This coherent arrangement meets the core expectations well. To make progression more flexible and precise, group related trends more deliberately—for example, compare the rising retail and healthcare lines together, then contrast them with manufacturing and agriculture. Some links are slightly mechanical, and “the trend went down” does not specify clearly which period or value is being discussed. More explicit comparisons between sectors and time points would strengthen the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “peak,” “consistent rise,” “steadily decreasing,” and “significant change,” which helps describe trends. There are also attempts at more varied phrasing, such as “On the contrary.” However, some choices are informal or imprecise for an academic report: “started off really well” and “department” are not suitable descriptions of the data, while “went down tremendously” overstates the decline. Spelling errors such as “feilds,” “intially,” “continiously,” and “less then” also reduce accuracy. Choose neutral trend language and check spelling carefully; precise terms such as “fell,” “declined,” and “rose sharply” will make the account more controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including the contrast structure “While …” and the participle phrase “having less then 5 million jobs … climbing …”. Most sentences remain understandable, and the main trends can be followed. Some grammatical errors persist, particularly subject–verb agreement and sentence construction: “agriculture and manufacturing shows” should use a plural verb, and “reaching its peak in 1980” is attached awkwardly to the preceding clause. The opening phrase “the number of jobs one side and the number of years passed on the other” is also not a complete, natural grammatical description. Aim for clearer clauses and check agreement, articles, and verb forms when revising.

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