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 graph illustrated the job market in four sector of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, the Manufacturing jobs secure the highest position, while Agriculture were stood at the lowest and decreased with the time. Moreover, the number of retail jobs steadily increase with the time.

Firstly, there were 15 million manufacturing jobs in 1960 which increased moderately and stood at 20 million in 1980. After 1980 the ratio started reducing slightly and reached at 12 to 13 million in 2020. Furthermore the rate of retail jobs were stood at about 6 million in 1960 and it increased significantly over the years and stood at 15 million in 2000 and almost remained constant till 2020. In comparison with healthcare jobs which were stood at almost 2.5 million in 1960 and slightly increased in 1980 whereas it reached the same level of retail jobs in 2020. Therefore, the number of retail and healthcare jobs stood at the same number in 2020.

Meanwhile, the available jobs in agriculture were stood at almost 5.5 million in 1980 and slightly decreased in 1980 and it almost remained constant till 2000. The ratio is slightly decreased in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all four sectors and identifies key trends over the period. However, the overview is slightly weak; while it mentions the highest and lowest sectors, it could be more precise regarding the overall trajectory of the data. The reporting of figures is generally accurate, though there are some inconsistencies in the data interpretation (e.g., the description of agriculture). The response successfully highlights the main features and makes relevant comparisons, such as the convergence of retail and healthcare jobs by 2020. To improve, ensure the overview clearly synthesizes the most significant trends rather than just listing individual sector movements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific sectors. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Firstly', 'Furthermore', and 'Meanwhile' are used to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by repetitive phrasing, such as the frequent use of 'stood at' or 'the number of'. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the transition between the description of retail and healthcare could be smoother to better highlight the comparison. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and the information is presented in a logical sequence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to describe trends (e.g., 'increased moderately', 'decreased slightly', 'remained constant'). However, there is a lack of variety in the verbs used to report data, with 'stood at' being used repeatedly, which makes the writing feel somewhat mechanical. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'ratio' used when referring to absolute numbers of jobs. To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate a wider range of synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' and ensure that terms like 'number' and 'rate' are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and tense usage, such as 'Agriculture were stood' and 'retail jobs steadily increase'. Additionally, there are awkward phrasings like 'decreased with the time' instead of 'decreased over time'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy. To improve, the student should focus on consistent verb tense usage and ensure that subjects and verbs agree, especially when dealing with plural nouns like 'jobs'.

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