Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-05

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 6.0)

The line chart illustrates the count of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020.

In 1960, there were about 2.5 million jobs in healthcare. Both retail and agriculture had a little more than 5 million jobs in 1960. Moreover, in the same year, manufacturing had almost thrice the number of jobs than that in retail and agriculture. Next, in 1980, the number of jobs in healthcare increased to 5 million. While agriculture related careers lowered by around 3 million, those of retail grew by almost 5 million. Agricultural jobs surged to 20 million in 1980.

Moving further, in 2000, number of medical professionals skyrocketed to a little over 10 million. The count of people engaged in cultivation remained stagnant from 1980 to 2000. Number of retail jobs increased to 15 million in 2000 while that of manufacturing decreased to 17 million. In the year 2020, health sector jobs and retail related jobs both reached an equal of a little over 15 million. The number of jobs in agriculture reduced slightly becoming equal to what it was back in 1960. Number of manufacturing related jobs lowered steadily to 13 million in 2020.

Overall, the graph gives an insight into the changing trends in job distribution in the US focusing on 4 sections of economy. While in 1960, manufacturing jobs were the highest in number, by 2020, healthcare and retail related occupations took over.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all four sectors and provides a clear overview of the trends. However, there are significant factual inaccuracies regarding the data. For instance, you state that agricultural jobs 'surged to 20 million in 1980' and that the count 'remained stagnant from 1980 to 2000', which contradicts the provided graph. Additionally, the description of manufacturing trends is slightly imprecise. While the main features are identified, the misinterpretation of the data points prevents a higher score. To improve, ensure that you carefully cross-reference your written figures with the visual data provided to maintain accuracy.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs focusing on different time periods, and a concluding overview. Cohesive devices such as 'In 1960', 'Moving further', and 'While' are used to guide the reader through the timeline. However, the flow is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions between sentences could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall progression of ideas is clear, making the information easy to follow despite the data inaccuracies mentioned in the task achievement section.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'skyrocketed', 'stagnant', 'surged', and 'steadily'. These choices are appropriate for an academic report. There are some minor issues with collocation and phrasing, such as 'equal of a little over' and 'retail related jobs', which could be more concisely expressed. While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Focusing on more varied and precise collocations for describing data trends would enhance your lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as missing articles ('in number of medical professionals', 'Number of retail jobs') and awkward phrasing ('equal to what it was back in 1960'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band. To improve, pay closer attention to article usage and ensure that subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout your writing. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will also help boost your score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.