Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-14

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 illustrate the proportion of the number of jobs in million per year four sectors of the US economy - Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture, Health care.

To being with, In 1960, manufacturing provided about 15 millions jobs, compared with approximately 6 million in retail and agriculture. Healthcare had the fewest job, at around 2 million. Manufacturing rose to the a peak of nearly 20 million in 2000and 12 million in 2020.

However, retail increase consistently from 6 million in 1960 to around 10 million in 1980 and 14 million in 2000, reaching 15 million by 2020. Similarly, healthcare grew substantially , from only 2 million jobs to about 5 million in 1980 and 10 million in 2000, before reaching 15 million in 2020. Agriculture, however, decline sharply from 6 million to less than 1 million over the period.

Overall, manufacturing had the highest number of job at the beginning, but in declined after 1980. In contrast, retail and healthcare experienced considerable growth, while agriculture saw a steady decrease.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key features of the graph, including the trends for all four sectors. You successfully identified the main trends, such as the decline in agriculture and the growth in healthcare and retail. However, the overview is slightly underdeveloped; while you mention the general trends, it could be more cohesive by explicitly contrasting the sectors that grew against the one that declined. The data points are generally accurate, though there are minor slips in reporting (e.g., 'manufacturing... 12 million in 2020' is a bit vague compared to the graph). Overall, the response provides a clear summary of the main features.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each focusing on specific sectors. You use transition signals such as 'To begin with', 'However', 'Similarly', and 'Overall' to guide the reader. While the progression is logical, some of the cohesive devices feel slightly mechanical. For example, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. Referencing is generally clear, though the structure of the sentences within the paragraphs could be more varied to improve the flow of information. Overall, the paragraphing is appropriate and the information is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'consistently', 'substantially', and 'steady decrease'. There are some minor errors in word choice and form, such as 'The line graph illustrate' (should be 'illustrates') and 'manufacturing had the highest number of job' (should be 'jobs'). While you attempt to use more precise language, these occasional inaccuracies prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and pluralization when discussing data points.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'To being with' (should be 'To begin with'), 'retail increase' (should be 'retail increased'), and 'in declined' (should be 'it declined'). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not impede communication. You have a good grasp of basic sentence construction, but you need to pay closer attention to verb tenses and subject-verb agreement to reach a higher band. Increasing the variety of complex structures would also be beneficial.

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.