Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-20

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 chart illustrates the number of jobs available in different sectors which include manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare in the United States from the year 1960 to 2020.

Overall, the number of opportunities to work kept on increasing between 1960 and 2020 for the healthcare and retail sectors. On the other hand, the manufacturing industry saw a rise in the number of jobs; however, after the initial few years the number of jobs kept on decreasing till 2020. The agriculture sector never saw an increase in jobs between the given years.

The Healthcare sector had about 2 million, whereas the retail sector had 6 million jobs in 1980. Nevertheless, both of the industries saw a large increase in available jobs throughout the given timeline. Both industries reached peak in terms of job availability in 2020, with 16 million jobs available across each sector. The Healthcare sector had 5 million and the retail sector had 10 million jobs in 1980. In 2000, the number of jobs increased to 11 million and 15 million in the healthcare and retail sectors respectively.

Initially, in 1960 the manufacturing industry had 15 million jobs which were the highest as compared to all other sectors in the same year. Moreover, the number increased to 20 million in 1980, after this the number of jobs kept on declining reaching 13 million in 2020. Conversely, the number of jobs in the agriculture sector was 6 million in 1960 and kept on reducing reaching just 2 million jobs in 2020.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all four sectors and identifies key trends such as the growth in healthcare and retail and the decline in agriculture and manufacturing. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, you state the healthcare sector had 2 million jobs in 1980, but later claim it had 5 million in the same year. Similarly, the peak figures for 2020 are inconsistent with the provided data trends. While the main features are highlighted, the lack of precision in data transcription prevents a higher score. To improve, ensure that the figures cited in your text align perfectly with the visual information provided in the graph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into four paragraphs: an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on different sectors. The progression of ideas is generally clear, and you use cohesive devices such as 'On the other hand', 'Nevertheless', and 'Conversely' to link sentences. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the internal consistency within the body paragraphs is occasionally disrupted by the conflicting data points mentioned earlier. The paragraphing is appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response, and the overall structure helps the reader follow the comparison of the four sectors effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'illustrates', 'increasing', 'declining', and 'job availability'. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, though some phrasing is repetitive (e.g., 'number of jobs' is used frequently). The word choices are generally accurate and appropriate for the context of a data report. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'increase' and 'decrease' and use more precise collocations to describe economic shifts, which would enhance the sophistication of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the use of 'whereas' and 'although' clauses. While there are some minor errors, such as 'reached peak' (should be 'reached a peak') and 'both of the industries' (could be simplified to 'both industries'), these do not impede communication. The majority of your sentences are clear and grammatically sound. To improve, focus on article usage and ensuring consistent subject-verb agreement when discussing trends over time. Overall, your control of grammar is solid and supports the clarity of your report.

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