Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 data regarding the number of jobs in four sectors (manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare) of the economy in the US from 1960 to 2020. The units are measured in millions. Overall, retail and healthcare showed the highest employment, while agriculture was the least. Notably, manufacturing was the largest among four sectors which declined slightly over the years.

Manufacturing was the largest sector, with 20 million jobs in the year 1980, which fell to over 10 million over 60 years. Conversely, the healthcare sector was the lowest at over a million, which climbed to over 15 million by 2020. Furthermore, agriculture and retail started off with over 5 million in 1960, but the agriculture sector dropped over the years, whereas retail saw a rapid increase.

In 1960, healthcare was the lowest at 2 million, which skyrocketed by 2020, reaching over 15 million. Additionally, a similar trend was noticed in retail, where the jobs rose from over 5 million to over 15 million by the end of the period.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

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 manufacturing versus the growth in healthcare and retail. However, there are some inaccuracies in your data reporting. For instance, you stated manufacturing was 20 million in 1980, but the graph shows it closer to 25 million. Additionally, you mentioned agriculture and retail started at 5 million in 1960, but agriculture was clearly higher than retail at that point. Precision is vital in Task 1; ensure you read the axes and data points more carefully to avoid misrepresenting the provided information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into an introduction, a body paragraph focusing on trends, and a final paragraph that adds further detail. You use cohesive devices such as 'conversely', 'furthermore', and 'additionally' to link ideas effectively. However, the progression of ideas is slightly disjointed; the final paragraph repeats information about healthcare and retail that could have been integrated into the second paragraph for better flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the overall structure is clear, but the repetition of data points across paragraphs prevents a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'skyrocketed', and 'rapid increase' to describe trends. There is some repetition of basic structures, and while you attempt to use less common vocabulary, the precision is sometimes lacking. For example, 'the agriculture sector dropped over the years' is a bit simplistic. To improve, try to incorporate more varied reporting verbs and nouns related to economic trends, such as 'fluctuated', 'plateaued', or 'a marginal decline'. Your spelling is accurate throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Manufacturing was the largest sector, with 20 million jobs in the year 1980, which fell to over 10 million over 60 years.' While there are some minor errors, such as 'the largest among four sectors' (should be 'the largest of the four sectors'), these do not impede communication. You show good control over basic grammar, and your use of relative clauses adds complexity. To reach a higher band, focus on reducing minor errors in articles and prepositions and aim for a greater variety of complex sentence forms.

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.