Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-31
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 the information about jobs in four sectors such as manufacturing, retail, agriculture and healthcare of the economy in the US between 1960 and 2020.
Overall, manufacturing was the popular job in the United and stood up at its peak and decreased gradually throughout the period. While both retail and health care showed similar trend and became the most popular job in 2020. However, agriculture showed decline throughout the years.
In the beginning, manufacturing was 15 millions in 1960, grew up and reached at its peak around 20 millions and became the popular job in 1980. However, it showed downward trend over the years.
Regarding retail and health care, both accounted for 6 millions and 3 millions in the beginning and showed similar upward trend. These are increased throughout the period and stood at same amount 15 millions in 2020. Whereas, agriculture started their journey same as retail 6 millions in 1960 and it showed decline around 4 million in 1980. It decreased gradually end up with around 3 millions in 2020 and became the least popular job in the US.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
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 agriculture versus the growth in retail and healthcare. However, the overview is slightly imprecise; for instance, stating that retail and healthcare 'became the most popular job' in 2020 is accurate, but the description of manufacturing as 'the popular job' in 1980 is vague. The data reporting is generally accurate, though some figures are slightly misstated (e.g., manufacturing peaked at 20 million, but the text says 'around 20 millions'). To reach a higher band, ensure that the overview highlights the most significant shifts more clearly and use more precise language when referencing data points.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In the beginning', 'However', and 'Regarding', which help guide the reader. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'started their journey same as retail'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the trends. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices to link sentences more fluidly and ensure that referencing (e.g., 'these', 'it') is always unambiguous.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task, using terms like 'downward trend', 'gradually', and 'sectors'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'stood up at its peak' (should be 'reached its peak') and 'became the popular job' (should be 'became the most popular'). There is also some repetition of basic verbs like 'showed' and 'increased'. To improve, incorporate more sophisticated synonyms for trends and ensure that collocations are natural and precise.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with articles ('the popular job', 'the US') and pluralization ('15 millions', '3 millions'). Additionally, some phrasing is non-standard, such as 'stood at same amount 15 millions'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct use of articles, and ensuring that numbers are expressed correctly in academic writing (e.g., '15 million' rather than '15 millions').
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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