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 line chart compares the number of jobs in four sectors of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020

At a fleeting glance , growth of jobs was highest for healthcare sector whereas in the early years manufacturing sector was leading with a huge margin.

Manufacturing sector had the highest number of job in beginning ,with 15 million people more than the next highest ,and saw steady growth till 1980,afterwards it saw a decline from 20 million in 1980 to approximately 13 million in 2020. Retail sector and agriculture had equal jobs in the year 160, with roughly 6 million people but where retail saw a constant increase to 15 million jobs in 2020 , jobs in agriculture declined reaching to a mere 2 million jobs in the year 2020

The sector with the highest growth was halthcare which had the least jobs among all the sectors in the begnning, but rose continuosly overtaking other sectors and finally had the highest number of jobs same as retail sector with 15 million people .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all four sectors and identifies the main trends, such as the decline in manufacturing and the growth in healthcare. However, the overview is slightly weak; while it mentions growth, it could be more precise regarding the overall shift in the economy. The data is generally accurate, though there is a minor error in the date (writing '160' instead of '1960'). The response effectively highlights the key features and makes relevant comparisons between the sectors, meeting the requirements for a clear summary of the provided information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the trends. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'whereas', 'but', and 'afterwards', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the manufacturing sector to the retail and agriculture sectors, and finally to healthcare. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different trends, which helps the reader follow the analysis of the data.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, with terms like 'steady growth', 'decline', and 'overtaking' used correctly. There are some spelling errors, such as 'halthcare', 'begnning', and 'continuosly', which are noticeable but do not impede communication. The student attempts to use a variety of descriptive language, but the range is somewhat limited. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on more precise collocations and ensure spelling accuracy for common academic terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('in beginning', 'in the year 160') and punctuation issues. Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'growth of jobs was highest for healthcare sector'. Despite these errors, the student demonstrates a reasonable command of grammar, and the errors do not significantly hinder the reader's understanding of the data presented.

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.