Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-06

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 line graph illustrates the information about the number of jobs across four different sectors of the economy in the United States between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, healthcare sector showed a consistent upward trend. In contrast, manufacturing industry remained at the leading position till 2000, which fell to third position at the end of 2020. However, retail field also showed an upward trend, which shared the same figure with healthcare sector in 2020. Meanwhile, agriculture sector represented a downward trend.

Regrading manufacturing sector, which started at 15 million jobs in 1960. This figure rose to 20 million in 1980, which decreased to approximately 16 million in 2000 and around 13 million in 2020. Moreover, retail industry increased from around 6 million in 1960 to 10 million in 1980 in terms of jobs. This number further increased to 15 million in 2000 and peaked at around 16 million in 2020.

One the other hand, agriculture sector began at around 6 million in 1960, which decreased to almost 3 million in 1980 and remained stable in 2000. This figure fell in 2020, bottomed out at around 2 million. Nevertheless, healthcare sector showed the highest growth throughout the period. It started at almost 2 million in 1960, which increased gradually to 5 million in 1980 and reached to approximately 11 million in 2000. This number reached to a peak of 16 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response effectively identifies the main trends and makes relevant comparisons between the four sectors. You successfully highlight the consistent growth in healthcare and retail, the decline in agriculture, and the fluctuating pattern of manufacturing. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the data. However, to reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are accurate; for instance, the claim that manufacturing fell to the third position by 2020 is a good analytical observation. The response covers all requirements of the task well, providing a clear summary of the key features throughout the 60-year period.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that group the sectors effectively. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'However', 'Meanwhile', and 'On the other hand' are used to guide the reader through the comparisons. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sectors. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing could be more varied to improve the overall cohesion. Nevertheless, the progression of ideas is clear throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'consistent upward trend', 'bottomed out', and 'peaked'. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, which is generally successful. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'Regrading' (likely a typo for 'Regarding') and 'reached to' (the verb 'reach' does not require the preposition 'to'). Despite these minor slips, the vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication of the data trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While there is a good attempt at complexity, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with sentence fragments (e.g., 'Regrading manufacturing sector, which started at 15 million...') and unnecessary relative clauses that lead to incomplete sentences. Additionally, there are minor errors with articles and prepositions, such as 'healthcare sector' (should be 'the healthcare sector'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. Focusing on sentence construction and ensuring every sentence has a clear subject and verb will improve your accuracy.

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

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