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 given line graph illustrates the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US in 4 distinctive years, from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, the data given is in millions. However, in the start, where manufacturing sector was on top, by the end retail and agriculture sector where leading.

A closer look at the graph elucidates that in 1960, 15 million of people were working in manufacturing sector which rose to 20 after 2 decades. In 1960, agricultural and retail sector had same number of workers, over 5 but agricultural sector saw a drop of nearly 2 million, retail surged to 10 but 1980. In addition healthcare sector only had 2.5 million worker, initially. However, it bounced up to 5 by 1980.

Moreover, after 1980, manufacturing sector a steady drop of 7 million by the end. Conversely, healthcare sector's number went up constantly by 2020, summing up at over 15. Apart from that, similarly to healthcare, retail also witnessed a raise of another 5 million but ended up with healthcare sector. Conversely, the agricultural sector had a plateau for 2 decades but plunged to only 2 million.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided relevant data points to support your descriptions. You cover all four sectors and note the key shifts over the period. However, the overview is slightly confusing; stating that retail and agriculture were 'leading' at the end is inaccurate, as the graph shows agriculture declining significantly. Additionally, some data points are imprecise (e.g., 'over 5' or '15 million of people'). To reach a higher band, ensure your overview clearly highlights the most significant trends, such as the long-term growth of the healthcare sector versus the decline of agriculture and manufacturing, rather than just listing numbers.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'Conversely', and 'Apart from that' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing and mechanical transitions. For example, the sentence 'retail surged to 10 but 1980' is unclear due to a preposition error. The referencing is sometimes imprecise, making it difficult for the reader to follow the progression of data. Improving the variety and accuracy of your linking words will help create a smoother, more professional narrative.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'plunged', 'surged', 'plateau', and 'elucidates'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as '15 million of people' (should be '15 million people') and 'witnessed a raise' (should be 'witnessed a rise'). These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the precision of your report. To improve, focus on using nouns and verbs correctly in context and avoid repetitive phrasing when describing trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with prepositions and articles (e.g., 'in the start', 'manufacturing sector a steady drop', 'summing up at over 15'). Some sentences are missing verbs or have awkward syntax, which makes the writing feel slightly disjointed. While these errors rarely prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of sentence construction to achieve a higher 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.