Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-13

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 number of jobs in the manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare sectors of the US economy from 1960 to 2020.

Overall, the manufacturing sector had provided the highest number of jobs in the beginning of the period, but this figure eventually declined. Healthcare and retail sectors witnessed a siginificant increases, while the agriculture sector declined throughout the period.

The figure for healthcare gradually increased from approximately 3 million in 1960 to around 5 million in 1980 before dramatically climbing to just above 15 million in 2020, whereas the figure for agriculture sector stood at just above 5 million in the beginning of the period before falling rapidly and recording the lowest among the four sectors.

Initially, the manufacturing sector provided over 15 million jobs, and this number soared to 20 million after 20 years, before eventually declining throughout the period meanwhile, the retail sector experienced steady growth.

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 decline in agriculture versus the growth in healthcare. However, the report is slightly unbalanced; the manufacturing sector's decline is mentioned in the overview but the specific data points for the end of the period are not clearly detailed in the body paragraphs. To reach a higher band, ensure that all key features mentioned in the overview are fully supported with specific data points in the body paragraphs, and avoid leaving trends 'hanging' without final figures.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices effectively, such as 'whereas' and 'before', which help to link ideas within sentences. However, the transition between the third and fourth paragraphs is a bit abrupt, and the use of 'meanwhile' at the end of the final paragraph is slightly awkward in its placement. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus and that linking words are used to connect sentences more fluidly rather than just joining clauses.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'dramatically climbing', 'steady growth', and 'soared' are appropriate for describing trends in a graph. There is a minor spelling error ('siginificant') and a slight grammatical slip with the pluralization ('a significant increases'). To move into the higher bands, try to incorporate more precise collocations for data description, such as 'a marginal decrease' or 'a sharp upward trend', and ensure consistent accuracy in word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. There are some minor errors, such as 'the agriculture sector' missing a definite article in one instance and the aforementioned pluralization error. Additionally, the sentence structure in the final paragraph is a bit run-on, making it slightly difficult to follow the progression of the manufacturing and retail sectors simultaneously. Focusing on punctuation, particularly the use of commas to separate independent clauses, will help improve the clarity and accuracy of your complex sentences.

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

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