Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-11

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 compares the four job sectors on the basis of the employment they provide in USA from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, it is clear from the graph that the Job market in manufacturing declined sharply in the last 40 years. Whereas Jobs in retail and healthcare sector rose siginificantly.

In 1960, manufacturing industry had the highest number of jobs among all sectors, the figure of 15 millions. Compared to this employment in agriculture sector was 3 times lower than manfucatuing, only 5 million.

over the period of next 20 years manufacturing department surged with a peak in 1980 with almost 20 million jobs. By the next 40 years this figure declined sharply and ended at around 13.5 million. Agriculture department showed major decrease till 1980 then it leveled off for the next 20 years with a slight decrease till 2020 to reach at 2.5 million.

In contrast, retail also started at the same point as agriculture which was around 5 million jobs in the sector, but this figure increased 3 times to reach at 15 million by 2000 then it remained on the same level till 2020. Healthcare department had the lowest jobs in 1960, however it increased by 5% every 20 years and ended at the same level as retail.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main trends and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered all four sectors and made relevant comparisons, such as noting the initial difference between manufacturing and agriculture. However, there are some inaccuracies in your data interpretation. For example, you state that healthcare increased by 5% every 20 years, which is not supported by the graph, and your description of the manufacturing peak in 1980 is slightly imprecise. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points cited are strictly accurate according to the visual information provided and avoid making assumptions about growth rates that are not explicitly shown.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs that group the sectors effectively. You use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast,' 'Overall,' and 'Compared to this' to guide the reader. However, the paragraphing is slightly unbalanced, and some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences could be improved by varying your sentence starters and using more sophisticated linking phrases to connect the trends across the different time periods.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'surged,' 'leveled off,' and 'declined sharply.' There are some spelling errors, such as 'siginificantly' and 'manfucatuing,' which detract from the professional tone. Additionally, some word choices are slightly repetitive or imprecise, such as using 'department' to refer to economic sectors. To improve, focus on using more precise terminology related to economic trends and ensure careful proofreading to eliminate minor spelling slips.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the figure of 15 millions' (should be '15 million') and 'reached at 15 million' (the verb 'reach' does not take a preposition). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are occasional issues with sentence boundaries and capitalization. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct usage of prepositions will help improve your accuracy.

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

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