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 shows the number of jobs in four sectors of the US economy. Manufacturing,retail, agriculture and healthcare between 1960 and 2020.

Overall manufacturing had a highest number of jobs for most of the period, although it declined considerably after 1980. In contrast employment in healthcare and retail increased steadily. Agriculture experienced the most significant decline and had a fewest jobs by 2020.

In 1960 manufacturing employed approximately 15 million people compared with around 6 million in retail and agriculture. Healthcare had the lowest figure at only 2 million. Manufacturing than rose to a peak of 20 million jobs in 1980 before falling to about 17 million in 2000 and 13 million in 2020.

Retail employement followed a different pattern. It increased consistently from 6 million in 1960 to 10 million in 1980, reaching 15 million in 2000 and 16 million in 2020.Healthcare also saw substantial growth, rising from just 2 million jobs in 1960 to 5 million in 1980 and 11 million in 2000.By 2020 it had reached around 16 million in 2020.

Agriculture meanwhile declined from 6 million jobs in 1960 to 3 million in 1980. It remained at 3 million in 2000 before falling further to roughly 2 million in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully identifies the main trends and provides a clear overview of the data. You have selected key features, such as the peak of manufacturing in 1980 and the steady growth of healthcare and retail. Comparisons are made throughout, which is a requirement of the task. However, the introductory sentence is a fragment and lacks a verb, which slightly impacts the clarity of the opening. While the data is generally accurate, ensure that all figures are presented clearly to avoid minor inconsistencies, such as the repetition of 'in 2020' at the end of the healthcare paragraph. Overall, the task is well-addressed with a logical selection of data points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of the data. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from an overview to specific sectoral details. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'meanwhile', and 'before falling' are used effectively to link ideas. However, the paragraphing could be slightly more balanced, and the transition between the introductory fragment and the body paragraphs is a bit abrupt. The use of referencing is generally good, though some sentences could be more smoothly connected to improve the overall flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information with precision, using terms like 'significant decline', 'steady growth', and 'substantial'. There are some minor errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'employement' and the phrasing 'had a highest number' (should be 'the highest'). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating a slightly wider range of less common lexical items related to data trends—such as 'surpassed', 'fluctuated', or 'plateaued'—would elevate the score. The current range is functional and allows for clear communication of the trends observed in the graph.

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 the sentence fragment in the introduction ('Manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare between 1960 and 2020') and the error 'Manufacturing than rose' (should be 'then'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are minor issues with spacing and capitalization after periods. While complex structures are attempted, the frequency of these minor errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Most sentences are understandable, and the errors do not impede the reader's ability to interpret the data.

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.