Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-18

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 given line graph illustrates about the jobs offered in four economic sectors like, manufacturing, retail, agriculture, and healthcare between [redacted phone] in US.

Overall, the line graph shows a huge variation in different sectors and maximum jobs are shown in manufacturing department while the agriculture sector represents minimum job offerings in 60 years.

The graph demonstrates that in 1960 manufacturing sector has 15million jobs that escalated to 20 million in 1980 after that it gradually dropped to almost 13 million in next 40 years. Futhermore, the retail department shows 6 million in 1960 and soared to 15 million in 1980 and 2000 after that it slightly expanded and maintained at 16 million in 2000. Moreover, the healthcare department illustrates small number of jobs in 1960 and rocketed in coming years reached to 16 million jobs that are same as retail sector. On the other the agriculture department shows 6 million number of jobs in 1960 after that continously decreased and reached 2 million in 2000. Among all sectors despite significant decrease from 1980 to 2000 manufacturing department demonstrates maximum number of job being offered.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all four sectors and identifies the main trends. You have successfully highlighted the key features, such as the rise in healthcare and the decline in agriculture. However, the overview is slightly inaccurate; you state that manufacturing had the maximum jobs throughout the 60 years, but the graph shows healthcare and retail overtaking it by the end of the period. To improve, ensure your overview reflects the final state of the data more precisely. The data points are generally accurate, but the analysis could be more comparative rather than just listing figures for each sector individually.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Moreover', and 'On the other hand' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence 'reached to 16 million jobs that are same as retail sector'. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be smoother to achieve a higher band. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sectors.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'escalated', 'soared', 'rocketed', and 'significantly'. There are some minor word choice errors, such as 'illustrates about' (the verb 'illustrate' does not take 'about') and 'manufacturing department' (sector is more appropriate than department in this context). While you attempt to use less common vocabulary, some collocations are slightly unnatural. Overall, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but more precise terminology would enhance the professional tone of your report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including missing articles ('in US', 'in manufacturing sector'), incorrect preposition usage ('reached to'), and tense inconsistencies. For example, 'manufacturing sector has 15million jobs' should be in the past tense. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, focus on consistent tense usage and the correct application of articles, as well as refining your sentence structure to reduce minor errors in punctuation and grammar.

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.